Dan Mayer

Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis

Social Outcasts

Gregor is meant to represent the outcasts in society. This is shown both before the Metamorphosis and after. Treatment of outcasts is only shown after the metamorphosis, which shows what is tolerated. Gregor is always separated from the family. The only moneymaker that is taking care of an entire family. After his father fails at a business Gregor leaves the family to work only for them. He is gone most of the time as a traveling salesmen (or this can be assumed). When Gregor wakes up as a bug i think it is very obvious that he is an outcast. He is different in every possible way, and is instantly rejected by the family. His mother faints and his father fights him back into his room.

Franz use of a metamorphosis i think is important in showing how outcasts are treated in society. I don't think it is important that Franz decided to use a bug, or use a undefined insect. This is only to illustrate the difference between tolerated outcasts and outcasts that are so different that they will be feared, shunned, and hurt. Gregor is an outcast that is loved by his family even if he is distant from them in the beginning as a salesman. His family loves and and speaks highly of him, because while not there and different he is helping them. He is taking care of the family and giving all the family members what they need. Since all the family is getting everything from Gregor they are happy with him and tolerate his outcast status for the sake of themselves.

After the metamorphosis Gregor is unable to work. He is unable to provide and the family all has to begin making it on their own. As they do they slowly begin to resent Gregor. This could be not only for him “leaving” them, also for him not providing for them. They take care of Gregor and accept that it is still him in the beginning, although the mother doesn't deal with this as well. The sister feeds and cleans Gregor's room not because of her love for Gregor the bug, but for the memory of Gregor's past. Gregor's intolerable outcast status is now apparent, because he is not providing benefit to the family as he used to. The family didn't often see Gregor in the past, now while locked in his room he is rarely seen. Still outcast and separated from the family but no longer respected because all of the benefits of Gregor's outcast status have been removed.

Franz has shown the true reason people with differences have always been tolerated in happy conforming societies, because they provide benefits. The small family example can be expanded easily to and entire country. Communist were not tolerated by our government because they provided no benefit only an attack on our society. Other very communist ideas such as worker unions still exist today because they provided a benefit of maintaining decent labor conditions as well as wages. Scientist in the past were all locked up for any ideas that contradicted the church. Now with societies realization in the power to modernize scientists with new ideas are held in high opinion.

The family at the end decides that life can't continue with Gregor as a bug and that night Gregor dies. This shows that being different and thinking different without showing some benefit to those around you will lead only to your own suffering, even with the best intentions. Gregor walks out to show support for his sisters musical talent, but this actually upsets his sister who was the last member of the family defending him. Outcasts always live a harder life, that may be respected but unhappy as Gregor was with his bad job. Outcasts can also just be tortured and expelled from society as Gregor finally is as a insect.