Alienation and Otherness in Metamorphesis

Kate Mulling
Belle Epoque
Fall 2002


Alienation and Otherness in Metamorphosis

Kafka’s Metamorphosis is his highly celebrated novel primarily about alienation, and the internal human response to this external condition. Alienation arises from emotions of displacement and is also a response to change. In every society there are certain individuals who do not fit the mold or are able to conform. It is this “outsider” position, either motivated by internal or external forces, that make the individual feel on the margin of their respective world and deprive them of general acceptance. In Kafka’s masterpiece, Metamorphosis, deals with Gregor’s experience with alienation. The novel is a psychological study of the characters within the novel and also is a commentary on the author’s relation to the text.
At the beginning of the novel Gregor Samsa was the only “bread winner” and source of financial support for his entire family. Gregor worked like a horse to p...