Metamorphosis is defined as ‘a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means’ (New Oxford American Dictionary). Through the use of the metaphor of “metamorphosis”, Marx explains how commodities can be perceived in several ways. For example, gold can be seen as a commodity or as a form of currency that, varying in amount, can represent the value of different commodities and be used to facilitate exchange. In this example, Marx demonstrates how, when we use money as a medium of exchange, objects we once used as commodities have metamorphosed into objects with a different use, that of a medium of exchange. Marx goes on to explain that this change occurs after commodities enter the process of exchange as they are; they are then differentiated into commodities and money. He points out that gold, as an example, once entered in the process of exchange, is perceived by both of its values (as previously discussed, there are two types of values). Gold is seen by its use value as a metal, but also by its “embodiment of value” (Chapter 1, p.114) as a form of currency.
