Musings on the Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka’s early twentieth century novella The Metamorphosis can be treated as a treatise on Nature; to start, the plot centers around a human man becoming, quite literally, one with Nature. In this case, we will take Nature to refer to both the universe and all of the living organisms within it, with a focus on the Natural world, meaning an exclusion of human-based or manufactured aspects of society. Protagonist Gregor Samsa’s metamorphosis into a large insect is a metaphor for the oneness of man with Nature, the return of human beings to their original place in Nature. Aspects of the plot including Gregor’s job as a salesperson, the horrified reactions of his mother, sister, and boss to his newfound state, the general dreary nature of Gregor’s life prior to his evolution, and his father’s total rejection of him all serve as indicators of the harsh contrast between man and Nature. The story’s ending proves just how incompatible Nature and humanity in its current, distorted state truly are. In the end, Nature reclaims Gregor Samsa, as allegory for Nature’s eventual reclamation of man from the concrete bonds of modern, manufactured society. 

At the story’s outset, Samsa is employed as a traveling salesman; this is relevant as it is reflective of just how profound man’s departure from Nature has been. Gregor’s job requires him to peddle fabrics, which he clearly does not enjoy and is not passionate about. This line of work is so lonely and mundane as to be nearly unbelievable, making clear the stark disparity between Nature and the contemporary condition of man. Whereas in Nature, animals (both human and non-human) are not typically required to engage in mundane activities for the purposes of survival, modern civilization often commands that humans engage themselves in both dull and unpleasant activities simply in order to secure survival. From the way the story is told, it is clear that Samsa does not enjoy his line of work, and is not close with his associates. Samsa’s traveling job stops him from forming any genuine, natural friendships, which the salesman laments over. The Natural world would likely not dictate time spent with disliked group members, but proper society does. From the start, it is clear that Gregor’s world and the Natural world are completely at odds.

The first environmental description we get is excessively bleak and dreary. Gregor wakes up to drizzling rain, surrounded by the dull markers of his all-too-ordinary life. The fabrics from his humdrum job taunt him, sitting in his bedroom. A photo of a woman torn from a magazine catches his attention, indication of the fact that Samsa, jammed up by the unnatural life forced upon him, is not even allowed to form natural romantic relationships; the woman is dressed in furs, a disjointed overlap of the Natural and unnatural worlds.

Upon Samsa’s transfiguration into his new state, everyone around him is immediately appalled and disgusted. This series of horrified, visceral responses is symbolic of man’s detachment from and loathing toward Nature. Now that humans have developed civilizations with social structures, rigid rules, and indoor living, we have become disillusioned with our Natural counterparts, although it is from Nature that we evolved. The unnatural nature of contemporary civilization, with its veneers of processed beauty, does not and cannot mesh with the ugly realities of the Natural world. Nature is simply not en vogue. The first to see Gregor’s new form is his office manager, who can do nothing but scurry away from the situation in fear and disgust. His mother, sister, and father are all in the room as well; the former two appear devastated, while his father immediately becomes violent, using a cane to force his son into the seclusion of his bedroom. These three responses reflect the common responses humans have to the Natural world: the urge to run away, histrionic fear, or all-out violence. This early scene is ironic, as many expect Nature to be chaotic and unruly, and structured society to be orderly and calm; however, the author’s presentation of the scene sees Nature (in the form of Samsa’s new form) as the only calm and decorous actor, while the humans are all but rioting.

As the story goes on, readers are bombarded with more examples of the violent discrepancies between Nature and society. At the story’s close, Gregor’s own family decides to disown him, citing his newfound form as a burden; the family is prepared to leave their son and brother to die based on his not fitting in with the cookie-cutter nature of their world. In response, Gregor allows himself to die, to the great relief of his family. The family goes on a leisurely ride, then goes on about their business as though Gregor had never existed. This series of events suggests that the erosion of humans’ relationship with Nature has resulted in a breakdown in the morality of mankind. Rather than caring about their son at all, the family clearly only cares about themselves. The story ends with the parents planning to find sister Grete a husband; this line is a reflection of Gregor’s inability to find a romantic partner, as indicated earlier in the story. Modern society has gotten in the way of both Grete and Gregor’s ability to find romantic partners for themselves. This, and other Natural processes, has been degraded by man’s insistence on creating and adhering to a society at odds with Nature.