Genres: Fiction, Classics
The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung) is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It is often cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is widely studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin.
Although Kafka wrote many stories on animals but this book is the only one where an animal is an insect.It is a tragedy but it is not an ordinary tragedy. The style and plot are simple and nothing is complex accept the fact that the a human has transformed itself to a bug. Character of Gregor Samsa is a very miserable, both as a human and as an insect. While facing the consequences he is helpless. First supporting his family and then accepting the fact later when he can’t help his family he tries to indulge himself in his new life. Though there is not much explanation can be given for the story, a reader will find it quite different from what he reads in day to day.
This is one of Kafka’s classics. I also read it a while ago and reviewed it on my blog. The storyline is simple but the idea is as absurd as Kafka was wont to create. For me the high point of the story was the reaction of his family members to his transformation from human form into a large vermin. Even though his sister tried to take care of him, in the end, when he died as a vermin his family was happy and relieved. Tragic!
Yup, it is a tragedy described by Kafka in small amount of words. But I would say the story was elegantly described and is a bit sarcastically witty!
[…] the beginning of the modernist movement in literature. Gustav Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis are some other […]
Superb post but I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic?
I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further.
Bless you!
I loved this story. It was at times outrageous to the point of laughter albeit with a saddening undertone.