The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka | Summary & Analysis

Summary

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis follows Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes one morning transformed into a giant insect-like creature. Though his body has changed, he initially continues to think about work and worry about supporting his family. When his family and supervisor see him, they recoil, and his father forces him back into his room, injuring him.

Plot and Character Development

• Gregor’s sister, Grete, first cares for him by bringing food and cleaning his room. Gregor, meanwhile, worries about his family’s finances and regrets that he may no longer be able to pay for Grete’s musical education.
• As Gregor adapts to his new body, his mother and Grete try to clear furniture from his room. His mother faints when she sees him, and his father later throws apples at him. One becomes embedded in Gregor’s back and causes a lasting injury.
• The family finds work and takes in three boarders. Grete’s care for Gregor diminishes, and he increasingly feels like a burden.
• When Gregor crawls into the living room to hear Grete play the violin, the boarders see him and threaten to leave. Grete says the family must get rid of him. Gregor returns to his room and dies the next morning.
• The family is saddened but also relieved. They go to the countryside, where they begin to imagine a more hopeful future.

Central Characters

• Gregor Samsa: The family’s former provider. Even after his transformation, he remains concerned about his family but becomes increasingly isolated and alienated.
• Grete Samsa: Gregor’s sister and initial caretaker. Her compassion gives way to resentment as the family’s circumstances change.
• Mr. Samsa: Gregor’s father, who reacts violently to Gregor and later regains energy and self-respect by returning to work.
• Mrs. Samsa: Gregor’s mother, who loves him but is frightened by his appearance. She earns money by sewing.

Symbols

• Gregor’s insect-like form: Represents the degrading, dehumanizing effects of work and modern life.
• The woman in furs in Gregor’s framed picture: Connects him to his former human identity and desires. His effort to cling to the picture suggests a wish to preserve that identity.
• Mr. Samsa’s work uniform: Symbolizes his renewed dignity and sense of purpose after he returns to work.
• Spring air and sunshine: Suggest renewal and the possibility of a better future for the family after Gregor’s death.
• Apples: Are associated with knowledge and suffering. The apple lodged in Gregor’s back marks his father’s violence and contributes to Gregor’s decline.

Main Themes

• Alienation and modern work: Gregor’s exhausting, isolating job leaves little room for friendship or personal fulfillment. His transformation makes visible the misery already present in his working life.
• Mind and body: Gregor retains human thoughts and feelings while inhabiting an insect’s body. His changing tastes and abilities complicate the distinction between human and animal.
• Family ties and responsibility: Gregor has devoted himself to providing for his family, yet he feels neglected once he can no longer work. The family’s feelings toward him—and his toward them—shift between affection, guilt, resentment, and dependence.

Speakers and Sources

• Narrator: A single explanatory voice summarizes and analyzes the story; the subtitles do not identify the narrator by name.
• Source: Course Hero. The video metadata identifies the presenter as Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe.