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A review by mihai26
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Interesting read.
One of Gregor's first thoughts after realizing his transformation is that he will miss work. This shows how much stress can create the fact that he is solely responsible for his family's financial stability and summarizes the pressure put on workers in a capitalist society.
Besides the classical father complex that critics mention, I really liked to focus on Greta's own metamorphosis. She is the one who keeps the tie between Gregor and the rest of the family and she is the one who takes care of him. While starting out of kindness, she loses the connection to him and loathes her new "duties". In fact, Gregor affects his family so negatively that even Greta considers him just an insect, wanting to get rid of <i>it</i>, which in turn convinces Gregor to starve himself.
Kafka puts Gregor and his family in a very interesting antithesis. He has a depressing life, both before and after the transformation, while his family gets better and better. Greta matures, gets a job, and might soon marry, the parents get jobs as well, become financially stable and move into a new residence.
The only thing that annoyed me is how a few parts seemed to happen without a reason - just as a simple example, nobody questioned how Gregor actually turned into an insect.
One of Gregor's first thoughts after realizing his transformation is that he will miss work. This shows how much stress can create the fact that he is solely responsible for his family's financial stability and summarizes the pressure put on workers in a capitalist society.
Besides the classical father complex that critics mention, I really liked to focus on Greta's own metamorphosis. She is the one who keeps the tie between Gregor and the rest of the family and she is the one who takes care of him. While starting out of kindness, she loses the connection to him and loathes her new "duties". In fact, Gregor affects his family so negatively that even Greta considers him just an insect, wanting to get rid of <i>it</i>, which in turn convinces Gregor to starve himself.
Kafka puts Gregor and his family in a very interesting antithesis. He has a depressing life, both before and after the transformation, while his family gets better and better. Greta matures, gets a job, and might soon marry, the parents get jobs as well, become financially stable and move into a new residence.
The only thing that annoyed me is how a few parts seemed to happen without a reason - just as a simple example, nobody questioned how Gregor actually turned into an insect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Death and Suicide