Gregor And Christian Values In Kafka's The Metamorphosis

In The Metamorphosis, Kafka weaves Christian values into the struggles of Gregor, a salesperson whom turned into a cockroach, seemingly overnight. Gregor 's family relied on Gregor, as he was the only one with a source of income in the whole family. When Gregor changes into a cockroach, his family is rendered helpless. While the title might refer to Gregor’s literal metamorphosis into a cockroach, it might also refer to each of his family member’s growth throughout the book, each with a metamorphosis of their own. Kafka makes a statement by alluding to Christian values, such as the parallels between the characters in the book and the biblical characters and the use of the apple as original sin. By being bold and defying the expectations of …show more content…
“His mother…forced herself onto his father...begged for Gregor’s life.”(39) In this same example, the idea of Gregor as a useless version of Jesus Christ is supported. It is because of him that his mother has to intervene using her body, after fainting just mere moments before, and offer herself to his father -- a distraction, to stop his father from killing him! He also cannot do anything to help his mother - neither her impression on the family, nor her well-being because “Gregor’s sight went dim” (39) and he fainted. Instants before, Kafka writes: “he felt nailed to the spot”(39), a clear parallel to Jesus being nailed to the cross. Gregor is also a cockroach, and is unable to work and provide a source of income for the family, or anything for that matter. This refutes the traditional idea of Christ, whom is seen as giving and capable of doing so. Earlier, in the first book when being a cockroach was still new to Gregor, his family attacked him as he left his room, forcing him back in. “His father gave him a hard shove, which was truly his salvation, and bleeding profusely, he flew far into his room.” (20) In this quote, Gregor is leaking out water and blood - symbolic of Jesus bleeding out on the cross. Jesus Christ is also supposed to be the “salvation” for humanity, but here, Gregor’s father is the “salvation”, …show more content…
Throughout the entire text, Gregor’s father is not only seen as superior to Gregor, which would imply that he is God, but is also the one that hurts Gregor a majority of the time, causing the audience to believe that he could be an embodiment of Satan as well. Kafka argues against the traditional image of God by tying it to the image of Satan, making the readers wonder if they are maybe the same thing. In the previous quote, “[Gregor’s] father gave him a hard shove, which was truly his salvation.” (20) Being Gregor’s salvation, his father is seen to be the God figure, more powerful than Jesus, and the literal father of the character meant to be seen as the portrayal of Jesus. However, also in Chapter I, when his family, in shock, first sees his new form and starts attacking him, Gregor says: “If only his father did not keep making this intolerable hissing sound.” (19) This is meant to connect Gregor’s father to the snake/Satan in the Bible, as Adam and Eve were also lured by the “intolerable hissing sound.” Later on, Gregor’s father also throws apples at Gregor, in retaliation to feeling provoked and disgusted upon seeing him. The second apple “literally forced its way into Gregor’s back.” (39) This is meant to be the equivalent of God throwing original sin at Adam and Eve, made evident by the fact that the symbol for original sin used in the