Beating an Incredibly Dead Horse

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is one of the most frequently anthologized and analyzed pieces of a modern literature, and as such it has been examined from almost every possible perspective. One aspect of the story that is rarely discussed is the importance, or lack thereof, of Gregor Samsa’s transformation into an insect. Could Gregor’s burdensome nature, and the lack of joy in his life, been expressed without venturing into the absurd? While it would certainly not have made for a story in Kafka’s style, the same general argument could have been presented as a realist piece of literature.
Gregor’s miserable life, even before the transformation, is quickly made clear to the reader in the opening pages. He despises his job and works only out of a sense of obligation to his parents. He had been a drone, a cog in the machinery of his company. He has not rebelled against his unfortunate position; rather he accepted it meekly. Gregor’s transformation symbolizes a passive rebellion against the world that has ground him down for his entire adult life. He tires of being a part of the system and withdraws from it, but society views those who withdraw from it as repulsive, lazy, unworthy.
Imagine instead that Gregor woke up that morning and resigned from his job, announced to the world that he did not wish to work any longer, and was instead expecting his family to care for him. While much less dramatic, and less shocking, this is essentially what transpired. Many more readers could relate to a situation such as this, which creates a connection between reader and protagonist on a more realistic level. A reader can have sympathy for Gregor’s unfortunate transformation into an insect, but he cannot understand it. Readers are better able to relate to a situation that they better understand. By cloaking The Metamorphosis in allegory, Kafka allows his readers to avoid the true meaning of his story if they choose to focus on the outward plot: the sad fantasy tale about a man who turns into a bug and dies.