IndexLiterary analysis of "The Metamorphosis": symbols and hidden meaningsA hidden treasure on the understanding of life, our humanity and societyUniversality of the book and unique writing styleFinal thoughts: lessons to be learned from historyReferencesFranz Kafka in "The Metamorphosis" illustrates with various symbols the transformation of a man who transforms into an insect named Gregor Samsa. The novel not only shows the transformation of Mr. Samsa, but also portrays the transformation of his family during the process of change that is happening to him. The author conveys in his works the hidden truth about himself and society. What makes the book more artistic and very attractive to the reader is that the story is based on the life of the author. He uses Gregor Samsa as a way to express himself and share a fragment of his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the story the author shows us a direct visualization of how he sees the appearance of the main character and the settings. This was very evident in the way he describes the stage where Gregor Samsa is transforming from a human into an insect. “Gregor's gaze then turned to the window. The gloomy weather (the raindrops fell noisily on the metal window sill) made him quite melancholy.” “He needed his arms and hands to get back on his feet. Instead of these, however, he only had many small limbs that moved incessantly with very different movements and which, moreover, he was unable to control. If he wanted to bend one, then he was the first to extend himself, and if he finally managed to do what he wanted with this limb...". Kafka's inclusion of several symbolisms throughout the story provides clear insight into what alienation and being alone truly feels like. Literary analysis of "The Metamorphosis": symbols and hidden meanings The author uses the emotional power of us readers to deeply understand the story of the metamorphosis is happening to Gregor Samsa and his family. The story suggests that behind all the sacrifices and hardships of providing for one's family can lead to isolation and dehumanization. “Then I'll take the big break. In any case, I have to get up now. My train leaves at five. Although something is not right in his body, what the main character has in mind is to get to work and how he can provide for his family to meet their needs. Just like in our society, the breadwinner of the family must provide and sacrifice to survive. In the story we can also see how Gregor's isolation affects the character of Grete and the Father. Since Gregor has been isolated, his father has been forced to go to work and provide for his family again. “But now he was standing really straight, dressed in a tight-fitting blue uniform with gold buttons, like the ones servants in banking companies wear.” Grete also became a beautiful young woman after Gregor's death. During the isolation, Gregor, his sister takes care of him and feeds him in the first part, but when Gregor started to complicate things for his family, his sister and father started to think that he is a burden to them . “Things can no longer go on like this. Maybe if you don't understand it, well, I understand it. I will not say my brother's name in front of this monster, and therefore I only say that we must try to get rid of him. We have tried what is humanly possible to take care of it and be patient. I don't think anyone can criticize us in the slightest.' He's right in a thousand ways," the father said to himself. "A hidden treasure about understanding life,of our humanity and society. Metamorphosis makes us understand that if a person suddenly changes from what is normal, this can greatly affect his environment, especially the family. The whole family was shocked and harshly accepting Gregor's transformation. Franz Kafka uses the plot of the story to share the phase of isolation and alienation. It all starts from a misunderstanding about what is happening, when one day Gregor Samsa wakes up transformed into an insect and his family doesn't believe it and, shocked by what is happening to him, takes him away from them. Kafka uses an apple to show Gregor's denial of love. After learning that Gregor was out of his room and had made his mother faint, his father became furious and: "His father had filled his pockets from the fruit bowl on the sideboard and now, without taking good aim for the moment, he threw an apple after another." apple'. The next stage would be acceptance, the family started to slowly accept what is happening and his father decided to get a job and Grete and his mother took care of the house and guarding Gregor. As time passed, Gregor felt guilty that he was becoming more and more of a burden on the family and decided to die in the process of making it happen. “He remembered his family with deep feeling and love. In this matter, his thought of having to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than that of his sister. He remained in this state of empty and peaceful reflection until the tower clock struck three in the morning. From the window he saw the general beginning of dawn outside. Then, without wanting to, his head lowered completely and his last breath weakly came out of his nostrils." The story can definitely stand the test of time. Everyone can identify with the life of each member of the Samsa family, especially Gregor's life. The daily problems he encounters are almost the same as the midlife crisis some of us experience. The line where the story shows that Gregor is more frustrated with his job than he was as he is slowly becoming an insect with a giant shell and numerous legs “O God,' he thought, 'what a demanding job I have chosen! Day after day on the road. The stress of the job is much greater than the work done on-site, and on top of that, I have to deal with travel hassles, worries about train connections, bad and irregular food, temporary and ever-changing human relationships that never come from Heart. To hell with everything!”. To this day, we are going through many difficulties, especially if we are in our twenties and are facing changes and transformations in life, be they physical, behavioral and social. The story also depicts the life of a breadwinner in the family. Gregor is a good son who chose to help his family pay off their debts instead of choosing to settle down. Even before that, the provider of the family has the biggest say and is the one who is superior in the family. When Gregor was the one supporting their needs, every member worried about him as if they even tried to always wake him up and visit him in his room. But now that Gregor is no longer able to do so and his father has regained his confidence as head of the family and breadwinner “But now he stood very straight, dressed in a tight blue uniform with gold buttons, like those servants wear a banking company". It really shows that Gregor has no use and value in the family and just like in life, money has a bigger impact on how people treat you. In fact, every generation would like to read this book even though it was published way back in 1915. Universality of the book and unique style of writing The book that is open toanyone regardless of age, gender, race, culture, etc. that is definitely a masterpiece. The Metamorphosis clearly tells us that change is everywhere in life and is constant. Our family is the greatest influence in our life. Their importance to us is immeasurable and therefore we will do everything just to meet their needs. But in the story all Gregor wants is for his father to accept and appreciate him. His father gladly accepts the money and seems to appreciate it, but once Gregor is unable to support the family, he loses all appreciation for Gregor's efforts. Just like us, the normal individual who wanted to feel loved above all by his parents. As the story progresses, Gregor gradually becomes insect-like. His appearance, his taste, his attitude have changed and he feels this feeling of alienation. Grete, Gregor's sister, who feeds Gregor every day and cleans his room, turns into a strong-minded woman. Her exhausting affection towards Gregor influences the way she thinks about their family's situation. She eventually feeds him less and stops cleaning his messy room. She is more concerned about her family and how Gregor is slowly becoming a threat to the family and it shows when she said "I won't say my brother's name in front of this monster, so all I say is: we have to." try to get rid of it. We've done everything humanly possible to take care of it and tolerate it as long as humanly possible.' This story is also about family and our relationship with them. Everyone has had major problems in their life involving their family. Kafka uses radical and absurd details with descriptive images and his choice of words is peculiar. These elements are the representation of “Kafkaesque,” ​​which means having a nightmarish quality that is complex, bizarre, or illogical. His job might seem simple as the story begins when Gregor wakes up having troubled dreams and directly states that he has transformed into a monstrous verminous insect. But as the story progresses, the true dilemma Gregor faces slowly reveals itself. While somewhat straight to the point, the author used words that were open to interpretation. Just like the part where the family is planning to get rid of Gregor since it affects them in every way. "I can't go on anymore." And he burst into such tears that his tears fell down his mother's face. He dried them from his mother with mechanical movements of his hands." The choice of word implies that Grete has lost affection and care towards her brother and is determined to give up hope that her brother will return to normal. What also attracts the interest of this story is how Gregor Samsa's life ended. His family feels at ease after immediately knowing what happened to Gregor. “Well,” said Mr. Samsa, “now we can give thanks to God.” He crossed himself and the three women followed his example. Grete, who didn't take her eyes off the corpse, said: Look how thin he was. He hadn't eaten anything for so long. The meals that arrived here came back exactly the same.” Overall, the author successfully conveyed the meaning of metamorphosis and narrated the story in a unique way. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Final Thoughts: Lessons to Learn from History History has many lessons to tell us readers. Our relationship with our family, the existential crisis, the sacrifice for the people we love and the transformation within ourselves. Gregor was once the breadwinner of the family and also124