Franz Kafka CW

8/6/2019 Franz Kafka CW

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Andre Beukers

How can the secondary characters in “metamorphosis” be seen asprojects of Gregor’s own psyche?

Are the secondary characters apart or a part of Gregor? Gregor’s

bug disorder leaves him completely passive towards his

circumstances, he constantly has to accept whatever “the family”

decides as he is unable to act or communicate for himself. Also due

to his anatomical limitations, he becomes an easy victim for his

father’s abuses and further confinement, not to mention he is

subjected to his mother’s and sister’s choices. “Metamorphosis”,

being abundant in psychological references, may however be read

as an extended metaphor for consciousness. As we are subjects of

our unconscious working, so is Gregor subject to the secondary

characters which maybe understood as archetypes of his mind.

While reading the text, one feels an intense sense of insanity and

schizophrenia as we approach the protagonist’s mind state. So,

aren’t the Secondary characters a metaphor for Gregor’s own

paranoid and heightened consciousness? How can the secondary

characters be seen as projects of Gregor’s own psyche?

Metamorphosis begins at the climax of the story where Gregor

awakes and ‘finds himself’ transformed into a bug. The scene where

we meet “the family” is the introduction to the extended metaphor

of consciousness. The way Gregor’s room is laid out is significant

because of its doors from all sides: “there came a cautious knock at

the door behind the head of his bed… It was his mother … and

already his father was knocking at one of the side-doors…

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meanwhile from the other side-door came the soft, plaintive voice

of his sister”(metamorphosis, P.78-79) Notice how his mother’s

voice comes from “behind the head” suggesting mental activity,

also how each voice has a certain personality. While his mother is

concerned for Gregor being late, his father is more repetitive,

objective and more brutal “‘Gregor, Gregor’, he called, ‘whats up?’

… in a deeper voice: ‘Gregor! Gregor!’” (P.79) and his sister,

concerned with his health and needs, “Gregor? Aren’t you well? Is

there anything you want?”(P.79). Also the way that the scene is set

out so that Gregor does not see “the family” but only hears their

voice may suggest an internal confrontation of the voices of the

unconscious.

Gregor’s father is a symbol of the Old Testament Jewish god and

reflects commonalities with Kafka’s relation to his own father. All

three parts of the novel end up with Gregor’s father beating him in

some way: “his father considered only the severest measures

appropriate for dealing with him”(P.108). It doesn’t take long to

notice he is a cruel character and is the main reason for Gregor’s

misery. The first chapter ends with Gregor being beaten up and left

alone “bleeding profusely” in his room, the second, Gregor’s mother

has to prevent father from killing Gregor, and at the third he

succeeds. It is important to notice that Gregor’s confinement is

imposed by his father who “dealt him a mighty blow… and he flew

deep into the room…The door was slammed to with the stick, and

then finally all was still.” (p.91) Here we see Gregor’s father takes

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away even more of Gregor’s freedom, confining him to the limits of

his room. This is significant because it suggests his father is the

rotten part of Gregor’s unconscious, if metamorphosis really is an

extended metaphor for an internal confrontation, his father is part

of the psyche which is torturing and imprisoning Gregor.

Gregor’s mother is always the one to know truly what’s good for

him. She is symbolic for she represents Gregor’s ‘heart’, his desires

and emotions, “he’s my own unhappy boy!”(p.101) Notice how she

imposes unhappiness on him, before this we did not know Gregor

was unhappy. She also is symbolic for being Gregor’s psychological

emancipator, “her voice… brought him [Gregor] to his senses”

(P.103) suggesting she is a very powerful character who keeps

Gregor from slipping into complete madness. Apart from keeping

him sane, she saves “Gregor’s life” from his father suggesting she is

the merciful part of his consciousness. It is clear that she is there to

balance out his father’s personality which is cruel and ruthless.

If Gregors mother is his ‘heart’ Grete can be seen as Gregor’s

rational part. At the start of the story she is the only one who

provides for him in his new state, she however, changes to such an

extent that at the end, she became “dreadful to him” and “twice a

day terrified Gregor” (P.100), whereas before she was most

welcome. The scene where his mother and sister remove the

furniture from Gregor’s room displays how his sister takes “things

into her head to provide for Gregor”. Notice how she takes “into her

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head” with the best of intentions yet not knowing what really is best

suggesting she is over rational and therefore metaphorically blind.

We know this because Gregor “clung to his picture and was not

going to give it up” (P.105) showing his unwillingness to let go of his

past which his sister insists on taking away leaving him with little to

cling to of his former humanity. Also the sheet he puts on the sofa

shows how Gregor feels shame around his sister: “in order to spare

her even this sight [a small portion of his anatomy], he one day

transported a sheet to the sofa”(P.100). Her final condemning words

that “this monster” (P.119) is no longer Gregor, is the end of him,

and he dies almost directly after her proclamation. It could be

understood that Grete was the most important part of Gregor’s

Psyche, and that once rationality gave in, all was lost.

The scene where Gregor’s mother and sister are quarrelling about

taking away his furniture or not may be interpreted as another

confrontation of the unconscious. At first “he could seriously have

wanted to have his room cleared out” which was what his sister

wanted, however “the voice of his mother… had brought him to his

senses. Not a thing should be removed”(P.103). Notice how Gregor’s

thought processes are reflected through his mother and sister.

Although his sister gives the last word, Gregor’s true desires are

expressed through his mother: “…depriving him of all his dearest

possessions”. Notice how the writing desk is “embedded in the

floor” which suggests its part of him, as his room is all he has now.

Once the furniture was removed he would surely “completely forget

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his human past” suggesting a complete obliteration of self. The idea

of a mental breakdown is supported by the shuffling around of

furniture which was “affecting him like some great turmoil being

fuelled from all sides”, notice the turmoil comes from all sides,

which is a reflection of the beginning scene where voices were

coming from all sides - again suggesting an internal conflict.

The idea of an extended metaphor for consciousness is not absurd

when we realize how the introductory scene, apart from being set

out with Gregor within four walls, each secondary character appears

from each side. Also they all have very distinct personalities, which

through out the story play a major roll on Gregor’s fate. Most of

what we know of Gregor’s feelings and thoughts are through the

other characters. With his fathers presence comes fear, with his

mother, grace and liberation. His sister is slightly different, because

although she has the best of intentions, she is too rational and

cannot see Gregor’s humane side. This is the cause for Gregor’s

shame and his final break down (metaphorically presented as his

death) which are imposed by her. As Gregor’s mother balances out

his fathers merciless personality, she also balances out his sister’s

over rational personality. Some scenes, like the introduction and the

one where they remove Gregor’s furniture, shows how Gregor is

constantly perturbed by these characters. Gregor is so passive, that

he has no say over his own circumstances; there are moments

where the family gathers to decide, “what should now be done”.

Although there are many interpretations to what Kafka means to

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Franz Kafka CW