Symbolism in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" Explained

Introduction: Symbolism as Kafka's Dominant Mode

According to Nahum N. Glatzer, philosopher Albert Camus once said that "the whole of Kafka's art consists in compelling the reader to re-read him," and since the interpretations of Kafka are many, this inevitably leads to a return to the story itself "in the hope of finding guidance from within" (35). This internal "guidance" is related to many elements of fiction, such as metaphor, characterization, plot, and theme. Yet with a single reading of Kafka's The Metamorphosis, written during late November and early December of 1912 and published in October of 1915, one can easily recognize that the use of symbolism is the dominant trait and primary "guidance" for the reader. This is due to Kafka's extraordinary ability to transcend reality and create a world that could only exist in the realms of the supernatural or the human subconscious mind.

Essayist Eliseo Vivas, writing in "Kafka's Distorted Mask," points out that Kafka's use of artistic symbols — that is, symbolic metaphors — are similar in nature to masks that act as shields from reality. "The light which rests on the distorted mask" is Truth, but "the mask on which it shines . . . is distorted" by Truth or, in Kafka's case, by symbolism (Gray, 143). Thus, in The Metamorphosis, symbolism runs rampant and can be sensed in many of the characters' traits, personalities, and actions, as well as in the descriptions of plot scenes and physical objects.

In the very first paragraph of The Metamorphosis, Kafka relates that Gregor Samsa, the main protagonist, "awoke one morning" and "found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect" with an "armoured-plated back . . . (a) domelike brown belly divided into stiff arch segments . . ." and "numerous legs . . . pitifully thin" which "waved helplessly before his eyes" (89). Robbie Batson views the symbolism in this description as biographical in nature, for instead of referring to the theme, Kafka is symbolizing certain aspects of his personal life. In doing so, he "leaves a simple story that stands only for an objective view of his own thoughts and dreams" with a focus upon "a single character that symbolizes himself and his life" (Batson, "Kafka/Samsa," Internet).

The Transformation as Social and Biographical Symbol

Although Batson's view may be valid, Kafka's transformation of an ordinary man into what sounds like a cockroach contains much symbolism related to society and culture. Gregor Samsa obviously sees himself as nothing but a low-life, low-paid traveling salesman with no future or financial prospects. After all, he lives with his parents in a small, cramped apartment, much like an unborn insect in a cocoon. Yet his insect-like appearance greatly upsets his family and his boss, which indicates that Gregor Samsa — at least from his own perspective — is indeed an insect.

But Kafka skillfully conveys to the reader that when Gregor emerges from his bedroom, the expressions of horror and shock on the faces of his parents and employer may not be due to Gregor actually looking like an insect. Symbolically, Gregor is now a kind of misfit trapped in a world he never made, a condition supported by his own statement: "What has happened to me? . . . It was no dream" (89).

Magic Realism and the Estrangement from Society

Johannes Pfeiffer, writing in a critical essay on The Metamorphosis, views Gregor Samsa's transformation as a type of "magic realism", meaning that objects such as Samsa "are presented with such a . . . wealth of detail . . . that they are constantly turned into something unreal or more than real" (Gray, 53). "Magic realism" is most closely linked to the so-called "Black Arts" and the practice of witchcraft, both of which rely heavily on symbols to express thoughts and ideas. Symbolically, Gregor Samsa, in the guise of a gigantic insect, is "cut off by this mysterious transformation from all community with other men" and does not realize that this transformation will have great impact on his social and professional lives (Gray, 55).

In essence, Gregor Samsa now symbolizes the downtrodden — the men and women of the world who work themselves to death for pennies and often end up alone and ostracized from society. When Gregor's mother finally finds the courage to confront her only son, his father and sister try to dissuade her, and she soon cries out, "Do let me in to Gregor, he is my unfortunate son!" (Kafka, 114). The key words here are "unfortunate son," which symbolize not only Gregor's arachnid-like predicament but also his position as "a man cut off from society, radically estranged from it in such a way that the distantly sensed door into the open remains blocked . . ." (Gray, 58).