The Metamorphosis Alienation Analysis

In Franz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, the reader is presented with an underlying theme of alienation. This state of alienation or estrangement is seen by the isolation of the main character from a group or activity and their loss or lack of sympathy. Gregor Samsa loses his identity through the estrangement of his obligation to financially support his family and his duty as a traveling salesman. This estrangement is initially somewhat apparent by his physical transformation and later on thoroughly depicted through his behavior and the lack of sympathy expressed by his family.
In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa, the main character, is detached physically, emotionally, and psychologically from his family, his job, and even society as a whole. …show more content…
Gregor is initially unaware of his transformation and is largely concerned about losing his job for the sake of his family’s wellbeing. He says. “I’d like to see what happened if I tried that out with my director some time; it would be the order of the boot just like that. That said, it might be just the thing for me. If I didn’t have to exercise restraint for the sake of my parents, then I would have quit a long time ago: I would have gone up to the director and told him exactly what I thought of him. He would have fallen off his desk in surprise!”(Ch. 1). Gregor knows that if he showed up late to work, like the other salesmen, that he would be fired instantly. He is not saying that he would like to be fired(he would probably be happier if he was), but is simply working to help his parents pay of an accrued debt. Gregor continues to change even after his physical transformation into a cockroach, as his appearance shapes the way he thinks through new needs and behaviors. Gregor says, “I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.” Despite the fact that he is gradually alleviated from performing his prior obligations due to the fact that he is not in the form of a human, he is losing his sense of identity along the way. Over the course of his alienation, Gregor is loses his ability to speak and is unable to enjoy milk, which was his favorite food as a human. Gregor feels helpless, confused, and unhappier than before this transformation, as he becomes isolated and has no way of communicating with his family or society. Gregor’s life as a salesman required him to make significant use of language (since it was the way he made a living). Without his ability to speak, he is unable to express who he is and control his own life. In essence,