The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka Literary Conventions & Plot Devices
allegory Allegorical interpretation Physical change is taken literally Allows reader to focus on Kafka s message Treatment of transformation: Casual Limited description Limited explanation
anagnorisis Revelation often resulting from reflection, which brings a character to make sense of or better a situation Gregor does not experience anagnorisis Ignores the truth of his predicament Doesn t question the motivations of others Seems to be waiting for a revelation but does not reflect on past failures In end, his family does not reflect on its change, signaling a possible return to failed patterns
antagonist Grete - moves from position of Gregor s sympathizer to his chief antagonist Feeds him Cleans his room Eventually resents his weakness & helplessness First to suggest the family dispose of him
antagonist Gregor s father History of antagonism intimated at beginning, but father too weak to confront Gregor As father regains authority, full-blown antagonism, as evidenced in applethrowing scene
autobiographical Kafka s feelings of isolation, alienation from indifferent family, society Paranoid projection - if everything in life is uncertain, what would happen if an individual suddenly morphed into a bug? Ironically, the absurdity of the notion may explain the popularity and relevancy of the story.
black humor A form of comedy that sources from the pathetic absurdity of human suffering and existence. Gregor flails about in his non-responsive body, just as he flailed around in a nonresponsive society The transformation, his family s response to their grotesque loved one, and the apple assault are presented in a light, ironic, slyly humorous manner.
climax Occurs at the beginning of the story - the transformation of Gregor into a bug. Some critics treat the opening scene as a crisis and see the apple assault as the climax The remaining action functions as the resolution.
the title Gregor s apparent transmogrification into a non-human thing Gete s and Mr. Samsa s changes in character
confidant At first Grete functions as Gregor s confidant. However their bond proves frail and fleeting. Isolation and the impossibility of true communication lead to Grete s rejection of Gregor and his demise.
conflict Man versus society Society has crippled Gregor His failure in society leads to rejection of his family Man versus nature Gregor s struggles with his alien body Man versus man Gregor versus his boss, father & sister Man versus self guilt
denouement The story resolves by Gregor s death His family is in high spirits ready to tackle life
crisis Gregor s transformation Intentionally downplayed to emphasize how dependent he s become on society to define him
dystopia Gregor s existence is his hell-on-earth Both family and society shun Gregor
exposition Kafka provides exposition through Gregor s internal monologues Traveling salesman Unappreciated at work & at home Unhappy & ineffectual Successfully supported his family Dreamed of sending Grete to music school Selfless Valued his life via service to others Counted on reciprocation that was not to come
grotesque Intentionally bizarre and moribund for dramatic effect Writhing bug that oozes Rotting wound Butcher collecting his remains
tone Bizarre, eerie, ironical, light Disbelief is suspended Language never becomes too grave or melancholy The transformation & death are taken with alacrity (briskness) Detail is superficial and not overly developed
Simple setting symbolic isolation focusing instead on Gregor s internal struggle Dining room Interaction with society Boarders: members of society Gregor s room His private, internal experience
character types Flat - lacking dimension, not individual, as if cast from a mold To suggest that the family interplay is typical, not specific to these characters (universal) Dynamic - undergoes change over time Grete: adolescent to adult
anti-hero Gregor Passive, cowardly, self-effacing His failures allow us to see how to avoid this in our lives
in medias res The story begins in the middle of the action Because Kafka down-plays the transformation, some critics see the event as an instance of in medias res and reserve the climax for the apple assault.
mood kafkaesque Eerie and absurd coupled with black humor Themes expressing: isolation, alienation, absurdity, anxiety
naif Gregor is not conscious of himself Does not value himself or look out for himself Gives the benefit of the doubt to others
objective correlative Gregor s physical state can be seen as the objective correlative for his inner self Pre-transformation Gregor felt like a bug Helpless On his back One of millions Nameless & faceless Trapped in mindless flow of bureaucratic business world No purpose other than to support his family
symbols Apple - fall from grace; dystopia Hospital - interface between society & individual yet unattainable to Gregor Blindness, nearsightedness - increasing alienation from family & society Music - universal communication Lodgers - society s control over lower & middle classes Charwoman - outsider who lives outside of society s rules and is therefore not affected by them
symbols Marriage - foreshadows endless cycle of domestication Number Three - religious connotation, extension of religious metaphor (apples) Rooms in house Gregor s room: his internal state Dining room: society Doors to Gregor s room Locks inside: Gregor s desire for isolation Locks outside: Gregor s loss of free will