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Christian Bedolla Infante

Professor Jon Beadle

ESW 113A

11 July 2019

A Broke Bug

Franz Kafka was one of the most influential writers to ever live. His story ​The

Metamorphosis,​ ​ tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, who undergoes a very

peculiar transformation into an ​insect​. While this may seem like a story grounded in the land of

make believe​,​ Kafka’s story seems to feel like a piece of nonfiction. The themes presented in ​The

​ irror the defects created by a capitalist society​, showing the​ effects of capital
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on human ​worth​, while also containing some Karl Marx-​esque​ philosophy about capitalism.​ The

way in which​ ​The Metamorphosis​ depicts Gregor’s transformation is symbolic of the negative

effects of capitalism on the working class​, and those negative effects would be: capitalisms’

ability to undervalue human worth, creating relationships that are an extension of business rather

than love, and reminding people of their own disposability.

The worth of someones life is determined by the amount of capital they own. There is an

ideology in the economic world that correlates economic success with worth. ​In ​The

Metamorphosis,​ this is a common theme in the story as Gregor falls from the top to the bottom of

the social pyramid. When trying to understand how capital impacts human worth it is import to

look at the way people with little to no capital are treated. The extreme example would be people

who are experiencing homelessness or who are experiencing poverty. When viewing homeless

people in capitalist societies there are many barbaric examples of this notion, especially for
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women​ in these unfavorable situations. Dr. Sandra Wachholz a Ph.D. recipient in Criminology

did a study about crime against people experiencing homlessness. In her finding she states,

“Among the women in the study who panhandled, the abuse frequently included sexually

offensive or threatening comments. All of them described panhandling experiences in which they

had been called ‘homeless sluts” (Wachholz). When others view these homeless women they see

them as objects as opposed to an actual person. Interestingly enough this is a common theme in

human society as capitalism perpetuates the idea of worth being delegated by capital. When

Gregor experiences the loss of his ability to obtain capital, he is viewed as inferior by the people

he once provided for. This is symbolically depicted through Gregor’s relationship with his father.

In a special instances Gregor’s father is dressed in a uniform that perhaps symbolizes his father

authority over Gregor. ​There seems to be a countless amount of symbolism that suggest Gregor

as an inferior being.​ ​One example of his idea would be his new found appetite for trash, as it

specifically states in the story, “the fresh food, by contrast, didn’t taste good to him”(Kafka 31)

His father is chasing ​Gregor ​when the narrator states, “at that moment something or other

thrown casually flew down close by and rolled in front of him. It was an apple; immediately a

second one flew after it. Gregor stood still in fright. Further flight was useless, for his father had

decided to bombard him”(Kafka 51). The chase to direct Gregor back to his room is concluded

by a ​barrage​ of apples. The significance lies in the frequency of the thrown apples, as it depicts

Gregor’s father's resentment towards his own son. His father no longer views Gregor as his son

rather as an object that he can impose his will upon. The relationship between Gregor and his

father is a metaphor for the way society views and values people without capital.
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However some may interpret the bombardment of apples as a ​depiction ​of how people

with disabilities are treated. Some readers suggest that ​The Metamorphosis​ ​is ​really about how

the world views those who are out of the ordinary. They suggest that Gregor’s father's barbaric

bombardment of apples is really just a commentary on how society dehumanizes those with

disabilities. However, this argument is refuted when a reader​ understands​ what a ​kafka-esque

event is.​ Noah Tarlin in a TED-Ed​ describes this kafka-esque idea as ​“a​ form of mythology for

the modern industrial age employing dream logic to explore the relationship between arbitrary

power and those caught up in them” (​Tarlin​). Specialifally​,​ ​The Metamorphosis​ goes past these

surfaces level claims of his transformatiotion being related to disability. Rather​,​ they​ explore the

idea of the transformation ​being​ symbolic of the power dynamics Franz Kafka is known for. The

arbitrary power being capitalism would make more sense in this instance.​ This is support when

viewing Gregor’s interaction with his job, as he wakes his first thought is about getting to work

not his immediate perception of himself. He goes as far as to state, “Before it strikes a quarter

past seven, whatever happens I must be completely out of bed”(kafka 9). Gregor is aware that he

has undergone a transformation however, he refuses to let that stop him from doing his

capitalistic duties.

Another interesting concept seen in Gregor’s transformation is the idea that relationships

between people in a capitalist society are an extension of business. The idea that the bond

between the members in a family are based on economic factors rather than emotional ones. This

is noted when Dr. Marc Linder a Ph.D. resident in labor and law explains Karl Marx’s, the

famous philosophers, ideas on marriage “marriage as an necessary element of a survival strategy

for the underclasses during industrialization when the right to settlement and thus to participate
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in poor-law relief programs depended on married status”(Linder 518). This explains how

marriage in a capitalist society is not seen more as a survival tactic rather then expression of true

love. Marriage is seen more as a business venture that allows the underclass to obtain

settlements. ​However, in this specific situation marriage is really just a symbol for an important

relationship between people.​ This idea that relationships are powered by economic factors are

paralleled in ​The Metamorphosis.​ When Gregor takes up the position as the traveling salesman,

the narrator explains how he “earned so much money that he was in a position to bear the

expenses of the entire family, expenses which he, in fact, did bear. They had become quite

accustomed to it, both the family and Gregor as well” (Kafka 35). The comfort felt by Gregor’s

economic success, coupled with his absence, lead to the transformation of the relationship with

the family. Well before Gregor’s metamorphosis the relationship had become about the wealth

he could provide rather than his actual persona. The transformation only further prepared this

idea forward when Gregor was stripped of his ability to provide for the family. This a common

problem in capitalist societies where relationships become based on self interest.

The Metamorphosis​ also comments on the disposability of workers in a capitalist society.

In a capitalist society, the work force is expendable and this in turn creates a lot of fear and

insecurity. The fundamental design of capitalism allows for people to be sold as a resource,

rather than people. David L.Collinson a distinguished professor of leadership and organisation

explained how, “For many workers, a fundamental source of insecurity is the material and

economic realities of selling one’s labour power in return for a wage. In capitalist organizations

hiring labour [is] a purchasable and disposable commodity...”(Collinson 6) . In other words the

fundamental model of capitalism promotes fear and incearitie through the disposability of the
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workforce. The commodification of the workforce is destructive to individual workers because,

at any given moment a workers can be laid-off with no negative consequences towards their

superiors. Gregor fails victim to the systematic process, which strips him of his identity and

reminds him of his disposability. Gregor relates to the idea of being expendable after when his

chief clerk states, “Your productivity has also been very unsatisfactory recently. Of course, it’s

not the time of year to conduct exceptional business, we recognize that, but a time of year for

conducting no business, there is no such thing at all, Mr. Samsa”(Kafka 15). The importance of

this statement lies in the idea that a person would not typically make such savage remarks

towards another. These sorts of unpleasant statements reminded the reader of Gregor's

disposability in his job. After hearing the remarks Gregor goes into a state of panic due to the

fear of losing his job but, due to his unfortunate circumstances he was unable to retain his

position.​ Before transformation he was a phenomenal salesman who was extremely hardworking

however, after his transformation those inclinations were dismissed almost immediately showing

how unforgiving capitalism is​. Gregor losing his job over factors that weren't ​directly in his

control ​is mirrored in capitalist society. This further proves that capitalism perpetuates the

disposability of its workforce.

Capitalism heavily impacts the working class and is beautifully depicted through

Gregor’s transformation in ​The Metamorphosis. ​The issue has became capitalism, as we are

consumed by the very things we consume. The amount of worth a human being has is based on

their participation in a system they are incarcerated by. Where people no longer have real loving

relationships between one another rather they are exchanges of commerce. A places where
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marriage is seen as a survival tactic rather than a depiction of love. Capitalism in ​The

Metamorphosis ​depicts the harsh realities of the world we all live in and are trapped by.
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Works Cited

Collinson, David L. “Identities and Insecurities: Selves at Work.” ​SAGE​, vol. 10, no. 3, 2003,

pp.

527–547.,journals-sagepub-com.libproxy.csun.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/13505084030103010

. Access date 9 July 2019.

Kafka, Franz. “​The Metamorphosis.”​ Translated by Stanley Corngold, 2013, Modern

Library,1915. pp. 3-77

Linder, Marc. "MacKinnon on Marx on Marriage and Morals: An Otsogistic Odyssey."

Buffalo Law Review, vol. 41, no. 2, Spring 1993, pp. 451-522. HeinOnline,

Tarlin, Noah​. “What Makes Something ‘Kafkaesque’? - Noah Tavlin.” YouTube,

YouTube, 20 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkPR4Rcf4ww&t=172s.

Wachholz, Sandra. "Hate crimes against the homeless: warning-out New England style."

Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, vol. 32, no. 4, 2005, p. 141+. Expanded

Academic ASAP,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A138811123/EAIM?u=csunorthridge&sid=EAIM

&xid=70f2fb18. Accessed 11 July 2019.