The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a fictional story about the life of Gregorio Samsa and his family after he wakes up one morning transformed into a monstrous insect. The novel is greatly symbolic and can be interpreted in multiple ways based on the time, place and circumstances in which the author lived while writing it. However, it can still be relevant and therefore enjoyed nowadays. The story can be interpreted based on current events, since it presents several issues that we can relate to in our current world. Any interpretation of the book makes it a good and insightful read. Furthermore, besides Gregorio and his transformation, each of the other members of the family can also serve as symbolic representations of conflicts in society's past and present. My only problem with the novel was that there were a lot of unnecessary details that made the story longer, but I know this writing style is common, especially, in the era The Metamorphosis was written.
I would recommend this story to experienced older readers, since young and/or inexperienced readers might find it difficult to understand the symbolism in the story and without this understanding the story can be dull and uninteresting.
A More In Depth Review
***SPOILER ALERT***
For this part of the review, I will offer my interpretation of the story based on our current society. In my opinion, the main character's transformation symbolizes how obsession and unhappiness can, slowly, transform a person until, suddenly, they do not recognize themselves and can't be recognized by others. Gregorio is obsessed with his work even though it does not make him happy. His obsession is so great that, even though he has woken up transformed into an insect, he insists on going to work and fulfilling his duties. Currently, we live in a society where the importance of earning money is put before happiness. Our society is enslaved by their work and in most cases they don't even satisfy the person. This obsession and unhappiness seriously affects humanity by causing depression, divorce, drug use and others.
Gregorio's transformation can also symbolize the addiction conflict that is increasing in our society. During the last few decades, different addictions like drugs, alcohol and, even, technology has been in a constant increase. In a lot of cases, this addictions cause the addict to transform into an unrecognizable being that simply causes terror and disgust like with Gregorio in the novel. Furthermore, like with Gregorio, addictions cause people to lose the opportunity to reach their dreams and be with those they love. Addictions corrupt the relationships between the addict and those around them until he is left alone and forgotten. At the beginning, some, like Gregorio's sister, will try to help the addict, but with time their presence will only cause suffering and pain.
Lastly, the growth and perseverance of Gregorio's parents and sister can symbolize how humans demonstrate greater growth when confronted by adversity. When they lost their main source of income, Gregorio's family found a way to survive and move forward. Our society reacts in the same way when faced with misfortune.
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