Franz Kafka’s creates quite a mystery thriller with his story “The Metamorphosis”. It is very questionable on whether or not the character is a bug or an actual human, or is there some place in the story where he transforms. The close relation to the reality and fantasy creates suspense and makes it a page-turner for the audience. In the story, Kafka uses Gregor to illustrate an illusion that is somewhat “buggish”, but because the audience is placed in his mind the assumption of him being a human being occurs.
One aspect that makes this story seem realistic first off is the setting. Gregor is lying in a bed and we find he has a family, has a job, and ultimately has a voice. Throughout the story he develops emotions and is smart. He is scared of losing his job, his family, and eventually his humanity; these are emotions of a human being. But throughout the story and in contrast, the way Gregor describes his physical features is very much so of a bug. As well as what he eats, what he enjoys doing, and the way his family reacts to him. Here the audience has to decide whether or not to take this literally or metaphorically.
I, myself, took this to be more metaphorical than literal. The author creates enough realistic characteristics as a human being to make me believe that is exactly what he is. Gregor’s humanity is lost from the beginning but just in a different way. In class we talked about how he was living to work instead of working to live. So “turning into” this bug was sort of a death for him. Here he lost humanity once, if he ever even had it. Him actual being a “bug” made things so much different. Because he wasn’t able t work, his family had to go find jobs to support their living. Gregor stayed in his room and four walls was all he became to know. His family in a way disowned him. He barely saw his parents and after awhile his sister became unfamiliar with him as well. These are not actual symbols of him being a bug but symbols that his family has lost interest in his humanity. Here again he dies, but this time more literally. His family cries, but at the same time they show that life moves on.
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