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Abstract: This paper analyzes the metamorphosis of Gregor and Grete in detail in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis to prove that the difference between their metamorphosis lead to the different results of their lives, which exposes the dehumanizing nature of the commercialized world.
Key Words: metamorphosis dehumanizing commercialized world
Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis presents itself like a grotesque dream but gives a true picture of the commercialized world. It refers not only to the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa, but also to his sister Grete. Gregor experiences the transformation of his human body, but he keeps his humanity; while Grete experiences the metamorphosis of her human nature, even though she keeps her human body. The difference between their metamorphosis lead to the different results of their lives, which exposes the dehumanizing nature of the commercialized world.
Gregor as a figure highly dehumanized always keeps his human nature, in which lies his tragedy. He first took up the job as a traveling salesman jut to “do his utmost” to keep the family out of the despair. Even though the job has bored him a lot, he continues it to pay back his parent’s debt to the chief. Gregor takes it as his responsibility to support the whole family. This sense of responsibility is just out of his human nature. Therefore, Gregor’s immediate reaction to his metamorphosis is a guilty conscience. He is so humane that he always interprets other’s behavior with humanity. Before his metamorphosis, Gregor has shared an intimate relationship with his sister Grete. After his metamorphosis, Gregor hides under sofa and covers himself with a sheet to spare Grete the discomfort of looking at him. He even “fancied” “a thankful glance from her eye” for his kind behavior.
However, Gregor does not realize that his metamorphosis has given rise to the transformation of his sister Grete.
Grete, another important character in this story, experiences another kind of “metamorphosis”, the transformation of her humanity. Before Gregor’s metamorphosis, she is only an innocent girl, who loves playing violin and has her own dream. She is the only family member with whom Gregor has remained intimate. When Gregor has transformed into a giant insect, Grete first interprets it as his misfortune instead of her family’s. She is the first to master her horror and enter the insect’s room. Grete’s performance shows her humaneness.
Grete’s humane activities bring her the appreciation of her parents and a new position in the family. Meanwhile, Gregor’s transformation has forced her into a material world. She begins to work as a sales clerk to support the family. Those changes must have great impact on her human nature. Grete begins to give herself an authority in all matters concerning her brother and wants to put everything about Gregor under her control. She intends to remove all the furniture except the sofa to “exaggerate the horror of her brother’s circumstances in order that she might do all the more for him”, and to make no one “save herself” set foot in this room. Her changed decision exposes the transforming of her human nature because it is just out of her own benefit.
When Gregor’s appearance disturbs the Grete’s violin performance, the sister regards his action as an invasion and cries out: “we must get rid of it”. She finally exposes her dehumanized nature. She does not regard the insect as her brother. The one who used to share intimacy with Gregor does not believe that this insect has a human nature. In her eyes, this creature “persecutes” the family, “drives away” the lodges, and invades her world. Therefore, she pronounces the sentence, “He must go.” Until now, Grete has completed her metamorphosis and been enslaved by the dehumanizing world.
At the end of the text, a striking contrast is presented between Grete’s “increasing vivacity” and Gregor’s miserable death, which shocks the reader greatly.
Just as Carl Marx points out, “The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation.” Both Gregor and Grete are forced into the dehumanizing world. However, Gregor cannot adapt himself to this material world. He clings to his human nature, his innocence, and his spiritual pursuit. He cannot accept the social values based on money, and still craves for love and affection from the family. Therefore, Gregor is doomed to death. Gregor is the victim of this commercialized world. Comparatively, his sister Grete adapts to the material world quickly. She takes advantage of her brother to secure her benefit. She even gives up her dream, her spiritual pursuit. To some extent, she is also a victim of the commercialized world, because she survives at the expense of her innocence, her dream and her human nature. On the other hand, she accepts the money-oriented social values and even becomes a victimizer toward her brother, which also contributes to her brother’s death. Two metamorphoses, quite opposite results. In a dehumanizing world, one may be just like Grete or Gregor, either to be enslaved or to perish.
Reference Books:
[1]Marx, Karl. “The Communist Manifesto,” Classics of Western Though, vol. III, edited by Edgar E. Knoebel. Michigan State University: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.
[2]Poupard, Dennis, and James E. Person, Jr. et al. eds. Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1984.
[3]Scholes, Robert. Elements of Fiction, An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981.
作者简介：
曾圣勇，男，四川宜宾人，硕士，长沙民政职业技术学院教师，主要从事英语教学和翻译研究。
Key Words: metamorphosis dehumanizing commercialized world
Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis presents itself like a grotesque dream but gives a true picture of the commercialized world. It refers not only to the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa, but also to his sister Grete. Gregor experiences the transformation of his human body, but he keeps his humanity; while Grete experiences the metamorphosis of her human nature, even though she keeps her human body. The difference between their metamorphosis lead to the different results of their lives, which exposes the dehumanizing nature of the commercialized world.
Gregor as a figure highly dehumanized always keeps his human nature, in which lies his tragedy. He first took up the job as a traveling salesman jut to “do his utmost” to keep the family out of the despair. Even though the job has bored him a lot, he continues it to pay back his parent’s debt to the chief. Gregor takes it as his responsibility to support the whole family. This sense of responsibility is just out of his human nature. Therefore, Gregor’s immediate reaction to his metamorphosis is a guilty conscience. He is so humane that he always interprets other’s behavior with humanity. Before his metamorphosis, Gregor has shared an intimate relationship with his sister Grete. After his metamorphosis, Gregor hides under sofa and covers himself with a sheet to spare Grete the discomfort of looking at him. He even “fancied” “a thankful glance from her eye” for his kind behavior.
However, Gregor does not realize that his metamorphosis has given rise to the transformation of his sister Grete.
Grete, another important character in this story, experiences another kind of “metamorphosis”, the transformation of her humanity. Before Gregor’s metamorphosis, she is only an innocent girl, who loves playing violin and has her own dream. She is the only family member with whom Gregor has remained intimate. When Gregor has transformed into a giant insect, Grete first interprets it as his misfortune instead of her family’s. She is the first to master her horror and enter the insect’s room. Grete’s performance shows her humaneness.
Grete’s humane activities bring her the appreciation of her parents and a new position in the family. Meanwhile, Gregor’s transformation has forced her into a material world. She begins to work as a sales clerk to support the family. Those changes must have great impact on her human nature. Grete begins to give herself an authority in all matters concerning her brother and wants to put everything about Gregor under her control. She intends to remove all the furniture except the sofa to “exaggerate the horror of her brother’s circumstances in order that she might do all the more for him”, and to make no one “save herself” set foot in this room. Her changed decision exposes the transforming of her human nature because it is just out of her own benefit.
When Gregor’s appearance disturbs the Grete’s violin performance, the sister regards his action as an invasion and cries out: “we must get rid of it”. She finally exposes her dehumanized nature. She does not regard the insect as her brother. The one who used to share intimacy with Gregor does not believe that this insect has a human nature. In her eyes, this creature “persecutes” the family, “drives away” the lodges, and invades her world. Therefore, she pronounces the sentence, “He must go.” Until now, Grete has completed her metamorphosis and been enslaved by the dehumanizing world.
At the end of the text, a striking contrast is presented between Grete’s “increasing vivacity” and Gregor’s miserable death, which shocks the reader greatly.
Just as Carl Marx points out, “The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation.” Both Gregor and Grete are forced into the dehumanizing world. However, Gregor cannot adapt himself to this material world. He clings to his human nature, his innocence, and his spiritual pursuit. He cannot accept the social values based on money, and still craves for love and affection from the family. Therefore, Gregor is doomed to death. Gregor is the victim of this commercialized world. Comparatively, his sister Grete adapts to the material world quickly. She takes advantage of her brother to secure her benefit. She even gives up her dream, her spiritual pursuit. To some extent, she is also a victim of the commercialized world, because she survives at the expense of her innocence, her dream and her human nature. On the other hand, she accepts the money-oriented social values and even becomes a victimizer toward her brother, which also contributes to her brother’s death. Two metamorphoses, quite opposite results. In a dehumanizing world, one may be just like Grete or Gregor, either to be enslaved or to perish.
Reference Books:
[1]Marx, Karl. “The Communist Manifesto,” Classics of Western Though, vol. III, edited by Edgar E. Knoebel. Michigan State University: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.
[2]Poupard, Dennis, and James E. Person, Jr. et al. eds. Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1984.
[3]Scholes, Robert. Elements of Fiction, An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981.
作者简介：
曾圣勇，男，四川宜宾人，硕士，长沙民政职业技术学院教师，主要从事英语教学和翻译研究。