Exploring Delusion in Kafka's Metamorphosis: Gregor Samsa's Plight

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Gregor Samsa's delusions in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis. It examines how Gregor's transformation into an insect is a manifestation of his internal conflicts and frustrations with his life and family. The essay explores the theme of delusion as a central stylistic element used by Kafka to express ideas of self-conflict, focusing on Gregor's distorted perceptions of his family and his role within it. The paper delves into Gregor's initial reactions to his metamorphosis, his struggles with his new form, and his continued attempts to maintain his human emotions and connections. It also discusses his isolation, his loss of control, and his ultimate acceptance of his fate. The analysis highlights how Gregor's delusions mask his true identity, revealing a disconnect between mind and body, and ultimately, a commentary on human perception and the complexities of self-awareness. The essay also explores the family dynamics and how their reactions contribute to Gregor's isolation and eventual demise.

Running Head: GREGOR SAMSA IN KAFKA’S METHAMORPHOSIS 1
Gregor Samsa in Kafka’s Metamorphosis
General statement
Gregor’s connection of his previous human thinking and feelings with his insect form is
the main delusion depicted by Gregor in the narrative Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Gregor is
presented to the reader as a character who is deluded about his own family.
Thesis Statement
Delusion is a general reflections of the frustrations of life and hence is the central style
used by the author in expressing ideas of self-conflict. Technically, delusion simply means an
idiosyncratic belief that is constantly maintained despite being contradicted by reality or a
rational argument. Typically, delusion is a general symptom of a mental disorder.
Outline
The paper will be an in-depth analysis of the points that support that indeed Gregor is
particularly deluded while paying particular attention to his family. His family rented a house
where they lived, which was only possible due just to Gregor's undertakings. Gregor’s father’s
business had failed and generally sat at home perusing daily papers, his mother was ill while
Gregor’s sister, Grete, was figuring out how to play a violin. Gregor is about his ability to care of
the family and his relation with them after his transformation. The transmission is extensively
demonstrated when he takes up a job in the hopes of clearing his father’s debt as well as
managing to pay for her sister violin lessons at a conservatoire in the future. The following
paragraphs will be a breakdown of how Gregor mitigates his ways through the challenges in his
characters.
Body

GREGOR SAMSA IN KAFKA’S METHAMORPHOSIS 2
Topic sentence one: Gregor Samsa delusional character is revealed the moment he wakes
up.
Gregor changes into a gigantic insect in his bed (Kafka, 2016). Generally, Gregor is the
archetype of several male characters since he is fearful of possible mishaps and is also reluctant
to act. Kafka's Metamorphosis is, as the story’s title suggests, a narration about transformation
and this is amongst the very first scene that illustrates the aspect of Gregor being delusional. The
change is so intense that it is near ridiculous. With Gregor’s father out of employment, the
parents are compelled to find new ways meet their parental obligations with a specific end goal
to survive. As it stands, this delusion change is a connotation of Gregor’s desire to take care of
the family. Technically, it is not the change that characterizes Gregor in this scene, but rather, the
deluded ability to take care of the family. In spite of the fact that Gregor's appearance transforms
so totally that it is assumes an unnatural human form, his mind refuses to develop throughout the
story. He takes to life after the transformation, in a way indistinguishable to his prior life it like
he is numb to his own body and does not notice the physical change. In reality, Gregor
everything but overlooks the difference in his physical body, spending a disproportionally little
measure of time agonizing over such a critical occurrence. This denial results in isolation from
his life, family and environment.
Topic sentence two: Oppressed by his work as a travelling saleman, Gregor' also
experiences general lack of freedom, both prior and then after the transformation and feels
completely out of choice.
Gregor can get away from his despicable employment if just he surrenders his family
commitments. He also can attempt and escape the flat, and in this way discover freedom. Neither
of these choices even occurs to Gregor. Intresingly enough his agony continues to be a major

GREGOR SAMSA IN KAFKA’S METHAMORPHOSIS 3
contributor to his delusion tantrums. Before the transformation, Gregor was an employed
traveling salesman. In spite of detesting the job, he feels obliged to keep working there, deluded
by his want to take care of the family. He believes his family needs him only for the purpose on
of income. Even after the transformation, this sentiment of enslavement continues (Kafka, 2016).
Gregor is isolated in his room, detained inside the flat.
Topic sentence three: Gregor is a closeted insect, in so great a denial that he neglects to
try and understand the family surrounding him.
Technically, this is a continuation of affliction, this mental apathy towards a
metamorphosing environment, represents a fascinating thought. The metamorphosis signifies the
falling of Gregor's cloak; an opportunity for the outside world to finally see Gregor for what he
truly is. Before the change, Gregor was already practically a creepy-crawly creature, a reality
that was obscured to both him and the world. Gregor did not have companions, neglecting to try
and achieve closeness with his own immediate family. To put it simply: his life was purposeless,
his body only a hollow shell like the exoskeleton of an insect. Gregor, then again, just
acknowledges the metamorphosis superficially, neglecting to recognize the importance of the
change. This is a typical representation of how most frustrated people handle such situations.
Topic sentence four: Gregor's metamorphosis was basically a delusion.
Regardless of his entire physical change into an insect at the onset of the story, Gregor’s
personality almost remains the same throughout the narration. The most obvious is that both
prior to and even after morphing into an insect, Gregor tirelessly surrenders to the hardships that
confront him without objection. At the point Gregor’s father's business failed, he willingly
assumes the new role as the breadwinner for the family without complaint. A job he hated.

GREGOR SAMSA IN KAFKA’S METHAMORPHOSIS 4
(Kafka, 2016). Likewise, when he initially becomes aware he has morphed into an insect, he
doesn't agonize over his condition.
Topic sentence five: Connecting his previous human thinking and feelings with his insect
form is the main delusion Gregor depicts in the narrative.
This aspects points out exactly how the transition affected him and his general ability to
perform. In spite of morphing into an insect, Gregor initially expects to report to work so he can
continue providing upkeep for his parents and siblings. It takes him quite a while before he
understands that he is unable to again perform that duty for his family and also that he will not be
able to venture out of the house in his present condition. As the story progresses, Gregor's new
form has a growing effect on his mind. He realizes that he is quite relaxed in the dark covering
up under the couch in his room, like an insect would, despite the discomfiture because of his
body size. He likewise realizes that he revels in crawling the walls and roof (Kafka, 2016). Be
that as it may, Gregor's identity does not completely vanish.
Topic sentence six: Gregor’s delusions does not make him loose touch with his human
emotions and hence has strong recollections of his humanity.
Gregor is aware he would be more comfortable if all the furniture were removed form the
room, enabling him to creep any place he desired. However, he is terrified when his mother and
Grete are removing the furniture such as the desk on which he wrote his school assignments
while he was a child. In a frantic effort to hang onto the few recollections of his identity, he
clings to the photo of the lady muffled in fur to stop anyone from taking it away. At last, he is
unable to fully adapt adjust to his new form or to play different role in the family that feels
sickened and ashamed of his presence around them. (Kafka, 2016).

GREGOR SAMSA IN KAFKA’S METHAMORPHOSIS 5
Topic sentence seven: Gregor is plagued by delusions that he might still have the ability
to regain control of the family's undertakings and continue his role as the family's breadwinner.
Regardless of these expectations, he arrives at the conclusion that it would be in the best
interest of the household if he somehow happened to disappear altogether, this is another
reflection of how Gregor is extremely delusional. He has nothing essential to give society.
Providing for his family was his only purpose in life. Once that was gone, the world seemed to
desert him or would actually kill him like an insect. Therefore, his death is just as his life had
been, tolerating his fate without grumbling and minding the best interest for his family (Kafka,
2016). The depiction in the story reflects delusion by Gregor through failing to address or clarify
why or how this peculiar transformation happened or remarking on the abnormality of it all.
Instead, the story, just as Gregor, continues on quickly from the metamorphosis itself and
focuses on the consequences of Gregor's transformation. For the character, that principally
implies adapting to his new form and shape (Kafka, 2016).
Conclusion
Gregor’s metamorphosis is as much about the lack of transformation as it is about this
disengagement between the mind and the body. The failure of Gregor’s family to see through his
suffering and his true identity harms him in various dimensions. Our comprehension of human
character is shallow. Should our bodies change, our personality is additionally contorted and lost
(Sokel, 1983). It remains fascinating how, notwithstanding the brain's control of every bodily
organ, humans are totally oblivious of their presence underneath the flesh. If our organs were to
be presented to us, we would deny them as part of ourselves. This juxtaposition between the
physical truth and the mental impression of the reality of it strikes discord between the psyche
and the body. The existence of this disconnection between the mind and the body is

GREGOR SAMSA IN KAFKA’S METHAMORPHOSIS 6
unquestionable. It is no doubt that the individuals who camouflage their bodies hide their real
identities. Tragically, it cannot be explained authoritatively the matter of why our bodies appear
to be so disengaged from our brains. Some way or another, liken Gregor in Kafka's story, the
appropriate response is masked: shrouded in a delusion. Delving into Metamorphosis strikes the
reader by an intriguing and philosophical idea with respect to human perception. Like Gregor,
people are visually impaired until the point when the truth is revealed (Sepp, 2014). Kafka
wanted to open the eyes of his audience to the reality that we live among delusional people.
Gregor hid in human shape just to realize that he was an insect. But then, regardless of his
creepy-crawly nature, Gregor's solid affection for his family and especially, his sister's music,
displays humanity. Yet, it could be a mere delusion. Gregor's sister's transformation into
adulthood is obscured from her parents until the last section, but could it be another delusion.
These delusions camouflage the true selves from one other, yet more importantly, they hide that
truth from oneself.

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References
Kafka, F. (2016). The metamorphosis. WW Norton & Company.
Sepp, H. R. (2014). Worldly-Being Out of World: Animality in Kafka’s The
Metamorphosis. Environmental Philosophy.
Sokel, W. H. (1983). From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in
Kafka's" Metaphorphosis". The Literary Review, 26(4), 485.