The novella, The Metamorphosis was written by Franz Kafka and published in 1915. The story follows Gregor Samsa, a salesman tasked with providing for his family, following his metamorphosis into a giant beetle.

As Gregor awakes one morning, he is startled by the realization that he is late for work, only to realize soon after that he has transformed into a horrifyingly giant bug. Laying on his back, unable to move or communicate with his family in the other room, Gregor is eventually discovered after his employer makes a home visit inquiring about his whereabouts. Shocked and appalled, his family struggles to accept the fact that the sole breadwinner has seemingly transformed into another creature overnight. Although his parents continue to struggle to come to terms with their new reality, Gregor’s sister, Grete, attempts to move past it, providing Gregor with food and venturing within his room to clean it.

Due to the situation, Gregor’s father reluctantly gets a job as Gregor can no longer work. However, the family continues to fall further into financial instability, forcing them to take on two tenants to help with housing costs. Unable to cope with his total isolation, Gregor reveals himself to the tenants, who quickly flee the home. His family, outraged and disgusted by him, force him back into his room, where, after neglecting him, he dies, fearful and alone.

Gregor’s metamorphosis is often interpreted as symbolic, both as a symptom of his own self-disgust and personal dissatisfaction and as a symbol of his unrelenting dehumanization as his family, physically able to work, condemns him to a life of soulless work and pressure as provider. The novella is unflinching in its depiction of Gregor’s cruel treatment and provides a horrifying look into the consequences of exploitation.

Review by: Nicole de Beauchamp

—Carrie Davies, Young Adult Librarian, West Los Angeles Branch Library