Commentary on Symbolism in The Metamorphosis Essay

Discuss Symbolism in Kafkas Metamorphosis. What does he seek to convey through the use of Symbolism in his work.

The use of symbolism can easily be said to be the one of if not the most potent literary device used in communicating the story of Gregor Samsa, the unfortunate man who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a monstrous cockroach, in Franz Kafkas novel Metamorphosis. Not to be thrown to the side, Kafka also employs other devices: Characters who despite the extremes to which certain traits are stretched, are often endearing in their familiarity, lucid imagery and fitting metaphors. However, Symbolism can be said to be the most effective device to be used through out the play, helps to subtly convey the sad tale of Gregor Samsa.

One symbol which stands out quite blaringly is the giant cockroach. One may ask why a cockroach? Why not a rabbit or a puppy or any other sort of animal which easily dredges up feelings of adoration and the need to protect in the beholder? Gregors transformation into this sort of creature which is very commonly frowned upon and disregarded as filthy or diseased effectively evokes a sense of revulsion in the reader, whilst simultaneously digging up sympathy; an unconventional pairing to say the very least. We instinctively know that because of the unfortunate form that he has taken it is very likely for him to be immediately be shunned by society despite whatever he may have contributed in his human days, Later on we discover that even his family comes to reject him despite the fact that he had selflessly devoted his life to supporting them so that they could live and realize their aspirations; An act which ultimately led to him putting off the development his own dreams and ultimately leading to the degeneration of himself as a human being. To this effect, the cockroach could also be said to be a manifestation of this and ultimately as a way to expose his family as ungrateful parasites and make clear the fact that his life was very insignificant to them and that once he was deemed unfit to serve as their financial foundation, he ceased to exist to them.

Another symbol which Kafka aptly uses to convey the degeneration of Gregors humanity and his ultimate alienation is time. Gregor is portrayed in the novella as a slave to time. Upon the realization of his metamorphosis, Gregor exclaims Great heavenly Father! to the fact that it was half past six. How peculiar is it that a man should be worried about time and punctuality when he is so indisposed? It emphasizes the fact that Gregor has reached such a state of degeneration that he is willing to put of his own health no matter the degree of severity to serve his family. Yes, it is all well to want to be loyal and selfless but the extent to which Gregor displays these qualities is strikingly akin to that of an emotionless, automat who has been trained to think of others before itself even if that leads to Its own detriment. To this extent, time is bears a resemblance to rest of the Samsas; they demand Gregors attention as a servant and tend to disregard him in all other matters. Just like time, the Samsas loose their grip on Gregors life only after his transformation, after they have really done him in and is of no use to them, he left to quietly wither away.

Another symbol which proves quite peculiar is the window. The only window in Gregors room represents the only avenue for momentary solace from his woes and the demands from his family. Ironically, this freedom is only superficial as though he can plainly see the window; Gregor is unable to escape through it as a result of many factors including the fact of his size. In the beginning of the book Gregors gaze turns to the window which displayed a rainy day, a fact which made him quite melancholy. The fact that his object of freedom displays such a sign symbolizes the fact that even hope is at times uncertain. This goes to emphasize Gregors alienation as we come to see that even the things that represent hope to him are rather unstable and unreliable.

The apple is one the most significant symbols in the entire novella. It is this apple that Gregors father hurls at him when he happens to be outside of the boundaries of his room when Mr. Samsa arrives home from work one afternoon. The apple which was subsequently lodged in his back can be seen as a manifestation of all the contempt and rejection that the Samsas have for Gregor in his current state. The apple is the same one which ultimately leads him to his death, signifying that his family has finally drained him of all his life essence and left him for worse. The apple could also be seen as a biblical allusion; in the story of Adam and Eve, they disobeyed God and ate from the tree of all knowledge, thus condemning all of mankind to a life were sin roamed free and suffering was commonplace. Similarly, Gregors parents could be seen as Adam and Eve and Gregor their ancestors, for it is from his from his fathers gambling debts that they are all impoverished, Gregor is the innocent one who has to bear the mantle and support the family, this mantle, similar to yet another biblical allusion, the Cross that Jesus had to bear as penance for our sins, eventually led to Gregors death. This symbol makes Gregors situation all the more pitiable as we can come to terms with the fact that although it is not always fair, the cross will always have to land on someones shoulders and unfortunately for Gregor it was him. This symbol helps introduce the absurdity of life as a theme in the novella Metamorphosis.

Finally, it is very clear that the use of symbols was very instrumental in turning the otherwise humdrum style of narration Kafka employs in this novella on its head and making it into a masterpiece. The symbols help to connect book with reader on a psychological level and helps to provoke deep, haunting thoughts on life and its very meaning.