Prior to Gregor's transformation, he was the sole provider for his family as a traveling salesman. However, he still was never an authoritative figure and his family took advantage of him. Even though his family was dependent on him, they were unappreciative and self-centered. After his metamorphosis, he lost the only sense of control he had: his job and providing for his family. Through this, he gained a new perspective on his life. He went from being depended on to being completely dependent. While he morphed into a nasty bug, his sister developed into a beautiful woman. I think this change was metaphoric and might be a reflection of the author's own life as an outsider. Just as Gregor slowly lost all of his humanness, the author gradually lost touch with society after years of neglect and abandonment.
Kafka's references to hunger are not literal. Gregor is not hungry for food; he desires love and attention. The only time he has human interaction is when his sister brings him food. He is never satisfied and always longing for more. As the family's sympathy for him diminishes, they stop feeding him.
Theme is the central or dominant idea of a story that extends beyond the text and applies to the world. Neglect, imprisonment, and the ugliness of humanity are all themes presented in this story. Gregor's transformation creates an emotional distance between him and his family. He is obviously a victim of neglect and they stop believing it is even him. Imprisonment is represented by Gregor being helplessly trapped inside the body of a bug. His appearance is completely altered but his mind remains unchanged. The ugliness and self-centered nature of humanity is revealed through the family. The only cared about him when he brought home the money. After he became a bug, he was worthless to them. The ultimately decide to get rid of him because he is too much of a burden.
One thing I think that gets ignored in this story is that humans are primal creatures. When Gregor's sister and mother come to clean his room and the only thing he decides to save in the room is the picture of the "sexy" woman with the boa.
ReplyDeleteLater on the the story we get to see music calm the beast when his sister is playing the violin. I think that this is a minor detail in the story that appears to get overlooked.