One day, Gregor Samsa wakes up to discover that he has transformed into a gigantic

bug! He lays in bed, reflecting on his life as a salesman. To his alarm, he realized he was

late for work! His mother knocks on the door, and Gregor answers, but in a different

voice.

Gregor struggles to get out of bed, worried he would lose his job, as the office clerk

inquires as to his whereabouts. He rolls off his bed and onto the floor, calling to the

clerk that he would be there shortly, but no one could decipher his words.

When Gregor finally opens the door, his mother faints upon seeing his transformed

state. From that moment, the diligent salesman disappeared and was replaced with a

repulsive bug.

At first his family tries to tolerate him and provide care, but as Gregor slowly loses his

humanity, the family’s patience also slip away. Their harsh financial situation erased

whatever love and respect the family held for Gregor. It’s a cruel world.

I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening

inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.

Franz Kakfa is known for his absurdist stories that explore existentialism. In fact, he is

so well-known that his books are categorized under its own genre: Kafkaesque.

Kafkaesque features characters (usually office workers) placed in surreal, complex, and

disorienting situations often from the irony of the character’s own circular reasoning.

The Metamorphosis is Kafka’s most notable work.

I would rate The Metamorphosis a 8/10. I didn’t find the transformation an original

idea, and the monotonous setting bored me at times. Gregor was restricted to his room

and only occasionally allowed in the living room. It was also hard to relate to the life of a

middle-aged man and understand his struggles. I do find the idea of looking through the

perspective of another creature, but many previous works such as Every Day featured

this concept.

Kafka’s novella isn’t a book I would read for pleasure, but it is a book I would read for

depth. The book features concepts such as love, money, family, and sacrifice that teach

you a little about the human soul and what it means to exist.

I would recommend this novella to teens interested in philosophy. The Metamorphosis

delves deep into what makes us human--our existence or our consciousness. When

Gregor becomes a bug, his bug existence precedes his human consciousness. But one

could argue it was his humanity that caused him to die for the brighter future of his

family. Though the plot wasn’t too-die-for, it brought up interesting questions about our

humanity.