English Literature

Gregor Samsas transformation from an average, young salesman to a beetle in Franz Kafkas short story The Metamorphosis is the central to both the plot and the overall meaning of the story. Symbolic of the changes of the Samsa family, the beetle is an image that is both spiritual and aesthetically abhorrent. Combined with the grotesque of a man turning into a giant beetle, the idea of a beetle as a spiritual symbol illustrates the tragic understanding of human nature that Gregor comes to see through his experience.  Though Gregor loses his life, he also comes to a deeper understanding of what it is to be human. In death, Gregor is freed from life as a beetle and also gains the knowledge imparted through this new understanding of human nature.

The initial transformation of Gregor from young man to beetle is difficult to view with anything other than horror. Awakening the day of his transformation, Gregor is still mentally the same man who went to sleep the night before. At first, he feels secure in his position in the world as the family breadwinner, taking over the role from his father. He does not like his life but he is familiar and accepting of who he is and who he expects to become. As a salesman, his position isnt dependable but he accepts that hell have to continue on the path hes already on. Discovering the transformation of his physical body, Gregor cannot at first reconcile the fantastical nature of becoming a beetle with the reality he knows. In his confusion, Gregor takes comfort in the  fact  that such a change cannot be permanent,  A man may be temporarily incapacitated, but that is precisely the proper time to remember his past achievements and to bear in mind that later on, once the obstacle is eliminated, he is sure to work all the harder and more intently  (Kafka 134). As Gregor views it, the change from man to beetle is a mere inconvenience meant to shore up his dedication to his known world. Its a kind  of temporary challenge.
 
However, it is specifically Gregors placement and understanding of the world that seem to be in some way to blame for his change. Though he clings to an understanding of his world, it is evident that there is little certainty in life. Gregors inability to move past his own set course and look beyond a narrow viewpoint of existence make him the perfect symbol for Kafka to illustrate the stagnation of the individual and sets greed as a driving force in society.  The Samsa family is as culpable as Gregor in their delusions, relying on his skills of charm and respectability to create their lives for them. When Gregor does not recover, the entire foundation on which theyve based their lives is shattered. The outside world recedes and the house speaks of and dwells only on Gregors existence, ,  For two whole days, every single meal was filled with discussion about what they ought to do  (Kafka 147). Grete alone is able to confront the reality of Gregor but even she is disgusted by the change in her beloved brother,  his looks were still unbearable to her and were bound to remain unbearable, which meant that it must have taken a lot of self-control for her not to run away upon glimpsing even the tiny scrap of his body that protruded from under the settee  (Kafka 153). The memory of who Gregor once was is the only remaining connection between himself and his family. His father, so disturbed by Gregors transformation, simultaneously fights and gives into a desire to kill the bug his son has become. Coping with Gregors new condition, the Samsa family grows farther away from Gregor the beetle and the memory of Gregor, the son and brother. As they turn their backs on Gregor, his old identity is forgotten in the reality of his new body.

More important than the transformation of the family dynamic, is Gregors own spiritual transformation. Called a dung beetle by the chamber woman, Gregors new self takes on a deeper meaning than merely the move from the known to the unknown. The dung beetle is a common occurrence in literature and myth, it has been seen as a  creature of two dimensions  that is representative of the  gross, ugly and repulsive side of physical nature ... counterbalanced by a quasi-divine association (Leadbeater 170). Kafkas own use of the beetle has been seen by some as a reference to the scarabs of ancient Egyptian mythology that is representative of the sun god, revealing   the possibility of life after death, or at least the possibility of rebirth (170). While Gregor may die in the end, separate from his family and the self he once knew, he both embraces and overcomes the restraints of the physical to attain a greater spiritual self understanding. Though Gregor dies alone, he dies accepting himself,  His conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sisters. He lingered in this state of blank and peaceful musing until the clock struck three in the morning  (Kafka 182).

Isolated and shunned, Gregor Samsa eventually comes to reclaim a lost part of his individuality. As he sinks into oblivion, his family becomes a part of the world again and Grete in particular a strength of character that can carry her family. In the conflict between human logic and limitations and an instinctual, animal instinct of survival, Gregor once more reclaims his individuality and freedom from the restraints of his past life. In the end, this dark story and the imagery of the beetle are about a reclamation of spirit and self.