ENG 125 Week 5 Assignment/Final Paper

1 Running head: SAMSA’S ALIENATION

Samsa’s Alienation in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

Sample Student

English 125: Introduction to Literature

Response to prompt #

Professor Smith

Month and date, year

Cynthia Williams� 8/7/2015 12:13 AM Comment [1]: The cover page is formatted in this fashion.

2 SAMSA’S ALIENATION

Samsa’s Alienation in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

One would normally think of the home and family as a sanctuary; however the opposite

is true for Gregor Samsa in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Instead of receiving love from

his parents and sister, Gregor is outcast. His physical transformation into a vermin is a physical

manifestation of his already alienated state and demonstrates how the family viewed him as a

commodity instead of a son or brother that they loved. By analyzing Gregor’s room, his

relationships with others, and his own internal dialogue, one can see that Gregor, in fact, did not

transform at all.

Various aspects of the room in which Gregor lives illustrate that his life is not that of a

human engaging with the world. His room is described a “proper human room” (Kafka 1915).

The addition of the qualifier “human” is an example of verbal irony; Gregor has already

morphed into a creature at this point. The room is also “small” and mention is made of the “four

walls” (Kafka, 1915). Though many rooms are small and have four walls, the highlighting of this

fact by the narrator evokes a sense of enclosure or imprisonment.

The furnishings of the room (or lack thereof) support Gregor’s disengagement with

human connection. Nothing is related of photos of family or friends, and the room seems empty,

save for his bed and a few other items. We read that “textile samples lay spread out on the

table” (Kafka, 1915), thus informing us that Gregor, who works as a salesman, takes his work

home with him. The only picture Gregor does have in his room is one of a woman that he cut

out and framed (Kafka, 1915), thus suggesting he finds more interest in the image of a stranger

than with that of any person in his life. Save for some furniture, a table covered with work, and

Cynthia Williams� 8/6/2015 11:43 PM Comment [2]: The beginning sentence immediately draws the reader into the issue at hand: that Gregor's home and family are not a sanctuary.

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:38 PM Comment [3]: The thesis statement here presents an argument about the work. Notice how specific it is, focusing on Gregor's alienation and how his family rejected him. Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:39 PM Comment [4]: This sentence is called the "essay map" and is essentially an outline in sentence form. The essay will discuss Gregor's room, his relationships, and his internal dialogue to prove the claim in the thesis (Gregor's physical transformation illustrates his alienation). Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:40 PM Comment [5]: This is the topic sentence for the first body paragraph. The topic sentence links back to the thesis and includes the first point in the essay map. Notice how the sentence repeats some words from the sentence above, "Gregor" and "room." This word repetition helps to organize the essay. Cynthia Williams� 8/6/2015 11:50 PM Comment [6]: Notice how the literary element in woven into the analysis of Gregor's room. Cynthia Williams� 8/6/2015 11:54 PM Comment [7]: Again, in the next topic sentence the words "room" and "Gregor" are used. This is a great organizational technique. Note how "room" is repeated in the the last sentence of the previous paragraph. Cynthia Williams� 8/17/2015 11:35 PM Comment [8]: The essay contains quotes from the story that are used to support the argument. The quoted material is followed by an interpretation of it.

3 SAMSA’S ALIENATION an image of a stranger on the wall, Gregor’s room is empty and resembles a prison cell more

than it does that of a human being connected with the world.

One more item in the room that supports Gregor’s involvement in his work and alienation

from the world is that of the alarm clock which serves as a metaphor for the control that his job

has in his life. Despite being transformed into a bug, Gregor is more worried about missing

work than he is about his physical state. Brooding about how he would like to quit his job after

paying about his parents’ debt while tossing and turning in bed, he says to himself, “First of all

though, I’ve got to get up, my train leaves at five” (Kafka, 1915). Then, an entire paragraph is

devoted to Gregor’s worrying about missing his train and wondering if he had slept through the

alarm; Gregor then wonders how he will deal with the repercussions with his boss, who would

certainly be angry with him for missing work. Gregor’s worries are supported when the chief

clerk does stop by the apartment wondering why he did not appear at work (Kafka, 1915).

Sokel (1983) notes that Gregor is further alienated from the products as his labor, as he does not

even enjoy the money he earns but gives it to his family. He explains, “Gregor’s sole reason for

enduring the hated position, the need to pay his parents’ ‘debt’ to his boss, drastically highlights

the doubly extrinsic purpose of Gregor’s work. For not only is his labor alien to his true desires,

but its…salary or commission that it affords him—does not even belong to him” (p. 487).

Gregor’s room and everything in it tell the story of his life: he sleeps, he works, and he has no

connection to other humans.

Gregor’s relationships with others also reveal his alienation and role as a commodity, not

a person. The interaction with the chief clerk at the office makes it clear the Gregor is valued

simply for his ability to make the company money. As already mentioned, the clerk at Gregor’s

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:42 PM Comment [9]: The words "prison cell" builds on an idea presented in the previous paragraph, the notion of Gregor as imprisoned. Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:43 PM Comment [10]: "Room" and "Gregor" repeated in both the last sentence of the previous paragraph and the beginning of this one. Again, this topic sentence links to the thesis and helps keep the essay organized and focused.

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:42 PM Comment [11]: This is a direct quote form the text that is used as an example of how Gregor broods over his situation.

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:45 PM Comment [12]: A brief explanation of the story here that helps to support the thesis and topic sentence that the alarm clock in Gregor's room rules his life and adds to his alienation. Do not summarize a literary work, but offer brief explanations of the plot that help support your thesis. Cynthia Williams� 8/6/2015 11:57 PM Comment [13]: Here, secondary source material is inserted and woven into the analysis. Elizabeth Skwiot� 8/7/2015 3:03 AM Comment [14]: This sentence offers a concluding statement to the discussion in this body paragraph. Cynthia Williams� 8/7/2015 3:03 AM Comment [15]: This topic sentence moves on the next key part of the analysis defined in the thesis, Gregor's relationships with others. Notice how it repeats key words in the thesis, like "alienation" and "commodity." Elizabeth Skwiot� 8/7/2015 3:03 AM Comment [16]: The sentence also includes transitional language, thus connecting it to the paragraph before it.

4 SAMSA’S ALIENATION office soon came by the family apartment to check on Gregor’s whereabouts. The description of

the visit makes it clear that the clerk was not at the home to inquire about Gregor’s welfare but to

reprimand him for not being at work. When Gregor did not respond to the family’s questions

(because he was physically unable to do so), “[t]he chief clerk now raised his voice, ‘Mr.

Samsa,’…You barricade yourself in your room...you are causing serious and unnecessary

concern to your parents and… you fail to carry out your business duties in a way that is quite

unheard of” (Kafka, 1915). When Gregor does finally respond (in a way incomprehensible to

all), they assume he is mocking them instead of trying to explain his predicament (Kafka, 1915).

The clerk is quick to fire Gregor, thus suggesting that Gregor is a commodity that can be easily

replaced.

The chief clerk is not the only person who views Gregor as a commodity; Gregor’s own

family sees him as a means to their own end and as something that is useless when it is no longer

able to make money. Early in the novella, Gregor thinks about the fact that Gregor was working

to pay off his parents’ debt, and would need to work “another five or six years” to do so (Kafka,

1915). One would think that in such a situation that the rest of the family was incapable of

working, but this is not true, as the family soon finds other means of income upon Gregor’s

inability to work.

Perhaps the most telling scene of the family’s view of Gregor occurs at the very end of

section I when Gregor rushes out of his room in an effort to reach out to the clerk and save his

job. Though one might understand confusion on their part, Gregor’s family, in particular his

father, shun him and react violently. Upon seeing Gregor, his father “seized the chief clerk's

stick in his right hand…, picked up a large newspaper from the table with his left, and used them

Cynthia Williams� 8/7/2015 12:04 AM Comment [17]: Notice how the writer discusses the conflict and Gregor's reaction to it, which helps to support the thesis of him being treated as a "non- person" and as a commodity.

Cynthia Williams� 8/7/2015 12:06 AM Comment [18]: This transition and topic sentence carries the idea from the previous paragraph to its further development of the thesis here.

5 SAMSA’S ALIENATION to drive Gregor back into his room, stamping his foot at him as he went” (Kafka, 1915). The

father then started “making hissing noises at [Gregor] like a wild man” (Kafka, 1915). Clearly,

Gregor’s father sees Gregor not as a son but as an enemy; this is ultimately supported when he

shoves Gregor into his room, injuring him. After the scene calms, “For two whole days, all the

talk at every mealtime was about what they should do now” (Kafka, 1915), leading the family to

believe such talk was about how they would provide for themselves, not how they would care for

Gregor. There is no care or concern demonstrated to Gregor by his father or anyone, for that

matter; rather, his father exemplifies the fact that the family only cared about Gregor when he

was useful to them; now that he is not of use, he is simply a burden. Ryan (2007) makes note of

additional significance of Gregor’s role that is lost in translation. He explains that a term used to

refer to Gregor in the story’s original German was “Ungeziefer,” a word that has a history of

connotations varying from “unclean animal,” to “louse,” to “cockroach” and other such

undesirable creatures (p. 11). Regardless of the translation, it is clear that Gregor is simply not

wanted.

Sadly, Gregor’s own internal dialogue parallel how his family talks to and about him. In

fact, one might say that he has internalized the voices of his family and the clerk. One example

of this includes his reaction upon realizing he was an insect. As mentioned earlier, Gregor was

not concerned about finding a way to get his human body back; rather, he was concerned about

whether or not he was late to work. Even after the clerk’s visit, Gregor is keen on finding a way

to get to work: “If, however, they took everything calmly he would still have no reason to be

upset, and if he hurried he really could be at the station for eight o’clock” (Kafka, 1915). Gregor

plans for the family’s future even though they do not; in fact, they take for granted that they will

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:45 PM Comment [19]: A key point of conflict is discussed here. Notice how the analysis includes examples cited from the story. The conflict defined in this section further supports the argument made in the thesis statement.

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:47 PM Comment [20]: This is the correct way to cite a source. The source is paraphrased but, even though it is not a direct quote, as a paraphrase it requires citation.

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:48 PM Comment [21]: This topic sentence transitions into the third point made in the essay map found in the Introduction.

Cynthia Williams� 8/7/2015 12:13 AM Comment [22]: Notice here how an in- text citation of the story is placed and formatted.

6 SAMSA’S ALIENATION be provided for and “had so much to worry about at present that they had lost sight of any

thought for the future. Gregor, though, did think about the future” (Kafka 1915). Though one

might first think it is good of Gregor to work so hard for his family, Gregor has completely lost

his own identity in doing so. He simply sees himself as a means to their welfare, just as they do.

Ironically, it is after Gregor morphs into an insect (or “un-thing,” as would be a closer

translation of the novella’s German title), that Gregor begins to demonstrate more human

qualities. One early example of this occurs near the end of the first section as the chief clerk is

about to leave. After rushing out of his room in an effort to appease the clerk, Gregor sees his

mother look at him and briefly forgets about the one thing that had previously consumed his

entire life: “’Mother, Mother,’ said Gregor gently, looking up at her. He had completely

forgotten the chief clerk for the moment…” (Kafka, 1915). As the story progresses, we read less

and less of Gregor worrying about his job and more about him thinking of his own emotions.

Reflecting upon his sister’s efforts to leave him food, Gregor wishes he were able to share his

gratitude with her. The narrator laments, “If Gregor had only been able to speak to his sister and

thank her for all that she had to do for him it would have been easier for him to bear it; but as it

was it caused him pain” (Kafka, 1915). This Gregor is quite different from the work-obsessed

Gregor at the beginning of the story. Gregor even shows thoughtfulness for his parents, even

though they do not demonstrate care for him as his sister does: “Out of consideration for his

parents, Gregor wanted to avoid being seen at the window during the day” (Kafka, 1915). These

are not the thoughts of an unfeeling, monstrous vermin but those of a caring, considerate brother

and son.

Elizabeth Skwiot� 8/7/2015 3:05 AM Comment [23]: Note that here and throughout the essay there is no plot summary. The focus is on the argument about alienation. Textual references are used in detailed analysis that is always directed at supporting a specific idea.

Cynthia Williams� 8/12/2015 9:50 PM Comment [24]: This section briefly explains the story's conflict. It supports the argument and illustrates how the analysis applies to the thesis statement.

Cynthia Williams� 8/17/2015 11:34 PM Comment [25]: Here, this quote supports the idea of Gregor as a supportive, caring son. Notice how the sentence following it interprets that quote.

7 SAMSA’S ALIENATION Gregor’s change from a travelling salesman to an insect in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

was not truly a change at all; in fact, by studying his room, his relationships and this thinking, it

becomes clear that Gregor did not change at all. The true metamorphosis happens after Gregor’s

physical transformation. Turning into a bug, unable to work, made Gregor realize what was

most important in his life: not his job, but his human relationships. Sadly, his family is not able

to reciprocate his feelings of love and concern. At the close of The Metamorphosis, it is not

Gregor, but his family who have morphed into unfeeling creatures, while Gregor is the most

human of them all.

Cynthia Williams� 8/17/2015 11:32 PM Comment [26]: The topic sentence of the conclusion refers back to the thesis.

Cynthia Williams� 8/17/2015 11:37 PM Comment [27]: The essay ends with a sentence that adds additional -- and insightful -- interpretation of the story.

8 SAMSA’S ALIENATION

References

Kafka, F. (1915). The Metamorphosis (D. Wyllie, Trans.). Retrieved from Project Gutenberg:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5200/5200-h/5200-h.htm

Ryan, S. (2007) Franz Kafka’s Die Verwandlung: Transformation, Metaphor, and the Perils of

Assimilation. Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies, 43(1), 1-18.

Sokel, W.H. (1983). From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in

Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Literary Review, 26(4), 485-496.

Cynthia Williams� 8/7/2015 12:17 AM Comment [28]: Your sources should be formatted in this fashion. If you need further help with this, check the Ashford Writing Center.