Exploration of Alienation

Exploration of Alienation

“It has to go”, cried his sister. “That’s the only answer, Father. You just have to try to get rid of the idea that it’s Gregor. Believing it for so long, that is our real misfortune. But how can it be Gregor? If it were Gregor, he would have realized long ago that it isn’t possible for human beings to live with such a creature, and would have gone away of his own free will” (Kafka 52). The relationship between family member’s in Kafka’s Metamorphosis is an interesting theme addressed, and somewhat distressing subject. Why is it so hard to accept that this monstrous bug is Gregor? Is it so bad for him to want to stay and be near his family- the only thing he’s ever had and known? For the sister to even come out and say these words seems somewhat selfish. Why can’t it be turned around to a viewpoint through which we have a family loving their son, unconditionally, regardless of what state he’s in? The word love is definitely one which is not seen in close companionship with the Gregor family. And we can see that this lack of affection carries on to be one of the driving forces behind the theme of alienation in the novel.

Alienation throughout the metamorphosis is conveyed to the reader time and time again through instances and circumstances subjected upon Gregor. Right from the start we get a sense of this situation as we explore Gregor’s job stasis. He is a traveling salesman. The major problem with this occupation is the fact that he is constantly moving and seeing new faces, making it virtually impossible for him to form lasting relationships (Kafka, 4). Landsberg observes that “This little experience occurs over and over again in the unstable life of a commercial traveler. It is not by chance that Kafka gave his hero this vocation, which like no other tends to render impossible any continuity in life” (Landsberg 125). Gregor is not in one place long enough to make any lasting connections so he absorbed by a state of loneliness. Adding to this is the fact that he is the only one in his family who is working (Kafka 16).So even before his transformation we see our character was alienated in his job field.

Now Gregor’s situation only worsen’s when he is unable to attend this alienating job. The issue of Gregor’s job was a big deal because through it he was able to sacrifice himself for his family (Emrich 125). But now, after the transformation, he and is unable to make this sacrifice and another aspect of alienation s revealed. A new question is brought up by the family-Who in the family will now work? (Kafka 28-29). We see that this new found responsibility, along with Gregor’s physical state causes the family to act in complete coldness toward Gregor. In fact they begin to no longer view him as a member of the family but rather a burden. This then results in cruel treatment thrown at Gregor and we begin to see his alienation having an impact on his physical body. Goldstein comments that we begin to see a link between what is going on emotionally and Gregor’s physical body state (Goldstein 209). Gregor stops eating, barely sleeps and due to lack of attention from his family is made to live in his own filth. The loneliness and depression he feels due to his family’s rejection opens his body up to situations and anguish’s that he would not have experienced before the transformation (Goldstein 209).

Gregor’s body is a definite burden, and adding to the physical manifestations of his emotional state, is the simple problem of movement. Getting from one place to the next with his giant body provides frustration for our character. One major obstacle in this area is the door of Gregor’s