The Metamorphosis: Kafka's Critique on the Modern Job Market.

Assigning a particular reason for Gregor's transformation is an oft-tackled inquiry that has no real answer. The who, how, and why of the equation are left entirely blank, so one must grab on to the little we know about Gregor's pre-metamorphosed life. In my opinion, the greatest correlation is the crushing modern workplace in his world; his job is his primary concern and action that he voices, and the only part of his life he initially forms opinions on. Kafka is known to have been an insurance clerk as well; he knows the awful repetition of certain jobs. And in The Metamorphosis, Kafka is attempting to bash the monotonous and destructive work setting of the new world.

The opening paragraphs of The Metamorphosis create one of the greatest cold opens in all of fiction. An extremely odd, nonchalant first sentence all the way to this Gregor's insanely unconcerned demeanor makes for an unforgettable, bizarre writing prompt. "What has happened to me?" Gregor thinks, as he stares at his WRIGGLING INSECT LEGS and lies on his SCARAB BACK! My initial reaction to this was along the lines of "what is wrong with this guy?" But I suppose assigning normal psychology to a book about a permanent case of morning roach is fairly unwarranted. Nonetheless, the very first thoughts he has after examining his body are directly about his work.

"'O God.' he thought, 'what an exhausting job I've chosen! One the move day in, day out. The business worries are far worse than they are on the actual premises at home, and on top of that I'm saddled with this travelling, the anxiety about train connections, the bad and irregular meals, the constant stream of changing faces with no chance of any warmer, lasting companionship. The devil take it all!'" (65)

This is the first place where I became curious of a job-related-metamorphosis thesis. Kafka must be aware of the absurdity of Gregor's thoughts, and the strange correlation he creates. His description of commonplace jobs for his employment evoke a sort of degrading cycle, where every time he eats a new bad meal, has a poor trip, or worries about train connections a little bit of his humanity is stripped of him. His proclamation of "the devil take it all!" similarly depicts an end to this cycle, where the 'devil' should possibly rob his humanity away all at once, to at least take him away from this horrendous job. It may seem like a stretch to think his job was withering away his life and stripping him down to an insect-like role, but Gregor hasn't missed a day in 5 years. His alarm is set for 4am! And the fact that he just slept in for the first time in all of that era possibly indicates this surrender to whatever being granted his insectdom.

Although his quest to work is soon vanquished after the reactions of his boss and family, it seems as though it was the stem of the problem. Especially with the father exhibiting insect-like qualities at the end chapters of The Metamorphosis after he gets a job, the critique on new jobs is still present. Perhaps the final happiness shown in the last paragraph is a product of their shared work, where Grete, Herr Samsa, and Mrs. Samsa each get a respectable job to produce together, whereas Gregor's isolation and constant activity destroyed his humanity. Horray!