Gregor's Physical, Mental and Emotional Metamorphosis.

Interpretation of a passage from Part II of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis.

This passage from Metamorphosis describes the moment when Gregor’s sister Grete walks in his room in order to serve him his daily meal. It conveys several aspects of Gregor’s metamorphosis, as well as his family’s attitude towards him after he is transformed into a bug.

Firstly, one can see from the passage that the only one that still takes care of Gregor is his sister Grete. Although he has just been changed into a bug, Grete is the only one that can still stand looking at him and being in the same room as Gregor, while his parents and the housekeepers cannot. Nevertheless, she still somehow suffers and is obliged to do this job, hence does not do it contentedly but takes it as an obligation. The narrator describes how Grete “lifted it immediately, not with her bare hands, true, but with a cloth and carried it away”. This quote shows enables the reader to see how Gregor disgusts his family by his appearance, hence they can no longer touch the things he uses in order to eat. Another example that supports this idea says "she set down again the same bowl, into which she had poured some water, and which apparently was to be reserved for his exclusive use". The word exclusive again suggests that Gregor is no longer seen as a member of the family but as a disgusting big bug, since he now even has special dishes.  It also shows how to Gregor this is becoming completely normal and acceptable, also showing an aspect of his character, always trying to please his family no matter what, either as a human or even as a bug. 

Kafka also uses diction in order to create imagery and convey Gregor’s metamorphosis. These words create a very disgusting image of the mess Gregor makes with his food and the type of food he is given. Kafka uses words like half-decayed, congealed, spilled, and old in order to convey the idea that he is being forgotten by his family, since they now give him the left overs, but also that he is transforming not only physically but psychologically into a bug because he is beginning to act not in a very human-like manner by making an enormous mess with his food and by also preferring the rotten food rather than the fresh food like the vegetables which actually “had no charm for him”. 

Moreover, Kafka uses diction in order to portray the metamorphosis of Gregor's actions; he acts like a bug but still feels like a human. Words such as devoured, sucked greedily, and whirred all convey the idea that he is a bug no matter what and is thus feeling as a bug. However, these ideas are contrasted with expressions like "tears of satisfaction" since he still has emotions and feels the necessity to cry out of joy. 

In the end, this passage leaves the reader wondering whether Gregor is still a human or is finally converting completely into a bug.

Gregor's Metamorphosis 2.0 - Modified Version of the Commentary

Gregor’s metamorphosis does not only shatter his own life, but also that of those surrounding him. His transformation into a beetle is not only physical but also mental and emotional; Gregor may act like an insect but his feelings and emotions still seem human:

“Gregor’s little legs all whirred in his rush to get to the food… Might it be that I am less sensitive now? He thought, and sucked greedily at the cheese, which more than any of the other delicacies attracted him at once, and strongly. One after the other with tears of satisfaction in his eyes, he quickly devoured the cheese, the vegetables and the sauce; the fresh food, on the other hand, had no charm for him, he could not even stand the smell of it and actually dragged away to some little distance the things he wanted to eat”. (75)

There is a contrast between Gregor’s actions while he is eating that convey Gregor’s metamorphosis. The diction employed by Kafka in order to describe how Gregor eats, creates a disgusting and grotesque image of how he “sucked greedily” and “quickly devoured” the cheese, clearly not very human-like. Also, it is important to remark Gregor’s preference for rotten food like the “inedible” piece of cheese, the “old, half-decayed vegetables”, and the “congealed white sauce”, as well as “the bones from last night’s supper”, all contrasting with the “other delicacies” his sister, Grette, had served for him. Moreover the reader can see at the beginning of the passage Gregor’s animalistic character as his legs “whirred in his rush to get food”, moving hurriedly and probably in desperation to get something to eat. These images also convey the idea that Gregor is being forgotten by his family, since they now give him only the left overs and the old food. Nevertheless, Gregor’s bug-like actions contrast from his human emotions. The reader can notice Gregor’s human facet from his “tears of satisfaction” as well as his ability to reflect, therefore realizing how he still isn’t completely living as a bug. Furthermore, Grette, Gregor’s sister, also plays an important role in defining Gregor’s metamorphosis, since the way she and the rest of the family treat him makes the reader feel as if he is no longer human anymore although we know that he is still able to feel like one. Gregor’s bug-like appearance clearly disgusts the family forcing Gregor to be served food in bowls “reserved for his exclusive use” and in “old newspapers” as if what he touches is polluted and tainted, and that he is not seen as a member of the family bus as a disgusting bug, almost even as a pest and a misfortune. Not only that but his sister also touches things  “not with her bare hands, true, but with a cloth”, portraying the idea mentioned previously, and how to Gregor this is becoming normal and acceptable, conveying that aspect of his character that is always trying to please his family no matter what, either as a human or as a bug.

Gregor’s metamorphosis goes beyond his physical appearance as a bug, but it also reaches a mental and emotional transformation, often making the reader question whether or not Gregor is still a human.