To what extent does capitalism in ‘Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka alienate the worker
from himself?
Kafkaesque is a term often used to describe the distinctive tragedies associated with the economic
condition of the modern world. The unclear labyrinths of the legal system, corrupt nature of
totalitarianism and struggles of being stuck in a bureaucratic cog of a business, are all some of the
struggles explored by Kafka’s protagonists, articulating the impending feelings of alienation felt by those
stuck in a cloudy capitalist system. Therefore, upon first view of the question there appears little to
debate, however, the focus on the workers alienation from himself makes it easy to miss the other forms
of alienation presented in ‘Metamorphosis’.
Aided by Marxist works, Bertens stated that ‘capitalism reifies the working class, turning them into
production units, alienating them from their product, work, other workers and ultimately themselves’.
Gregor becomes alienated from his family, his father who takes over his place as the patriarch of the
house and society who neglects him. Therefore, capitalism does not only alienate the worker from himself
but also from those around him.
As Gregor Samsa wakes up as a “huge verminous insect” his thoughts surround the recurring issues of
how he will get to work and deal with his boss. At no point does Gregor question why he has turned into a
bug or how to become human again. Instead, he accepts his situation blindly worrying about finances
while his “hard shell-like back” and “little legs” are described to the reader erasing his humanity. Gregor’s
place as the proletariat is immediately established through his career of a “travelling salesman”. He states
that “if it weren’t for the sake of my parents, I’d given notice long ago”, reflecting on the difficulties of his
“strenuous” job as Kafka uses a lexical field of negatives to dramatically convey his dissatisfaction
towards his work. Gregor reflects on its alienating nature in how “meeting different people for a short
time without ever getting to know them more closely” feels emptying. This represents the first glimpse
we get into Gregor’s alienation which begins before his metamorphosis. It appears that Gregor became
alienated from himself long ago, by doing a job that he does not enjoy. Marx states that the alienation of
the worker occurs when the ‘work is done out of pure economic necessity, not out of a desire to produce
the work’, and this directly applies to Gregor’s situation. It is later revealed that Gregor has been saving
money for his sister’s violin lessons, however as he attempts to fuel his sisters’ dreams, he rejects his own.
In a similar story to the tragedy of Willy Loman in ‘Death of a Salesman’, capitalism has taken a firm grip
on Gregor’s ideology, so he has fallen into the trap of ‘production without desire’. Through this
‘Metamorphosis’ acts as a sinister indictment of how capitalism alienates the worker through their work.
Gregor is unable to control the direction of his own life, instead being forced to serve the needs of the
market becoming merely a means of production. This dehumanises him so he becomes the very
insignificant thing capitalism views him to be – a bug.
Gregor’s fears and worries about his boss’s reaction to his absence force him to belittle himself; “you can’t
just stay in bed doing nothing” and injure himself as he attempts to control his new body in so he can go
to work. Gregor does not see value in himself if he cannot work as he views himself through a capitalist
perspective. He lives in a society where the high value placed on work means that the health of workers is
seen as irrelevant, therefore he views his own life as meaningless if he cannot work. This causes Gregor to
lose touch with his own humanity. Marx stated that as a result of focus on the act of production “man (the
worker) only feels himself freely active in his animal functions” such as eating and drinking. This becomes
present in ‘Metamorphosis’ where Gregor’s only remaining humanity can be seen in his hunger however,
he also becomes alienated from his human tastes. When his sister leaves “a bowl of sweetened milk with
small slices of white bread”, his favourite food, he finds that it is “not at all to his taste”. Gregor begins to
experience a profound sense of disconnect from his own humanity, and here capitalism alienates him not
from himself but from the rest of society by taking away his own humanity.
Gregor questions the harsh treatment he faces after he does not arrive at work wondering “-if such
enquires were necessary at all?”, yet when he is faced with the head clerk, he “stammers” being unable to
articulate his pleas. This represents the Marxist theme of ‘silencing the worker’ where Gregor becomes
alienated further due to his inability to communicate. His struggle is that of the worker. He views the boss
as above him and Kafka represents this elevated position of the capitalist employer through the
heightened imagery describing how he sits “up there on his desk… talking down to his employees”
creating the Orwellian image of power in the controlling capitalist boss. The fact that the head clerk
from himself?
Kafkaesque is a term often used to describe the distinctive tragedies associated with the economic
condition of the modern world. The unclear labyrinths of the legal system, corrupt nature of
totalitarianism and struggles of being stuck in a bureaucratic cog of a business, are all some of the
struggles explored by Kafka’s protagonists, articulating the impending feelings of alienation felt by those
stuck in a cloudy capitalist system. Therefore, upon first view of the question there appears little to
debate, however, the focus on the workers alienation from himself makes it easy to miss the other forms
of alienation presented in ‘Metamorphosis’.
Aided by Marxist works, Bertens stated that ‘capitalism reifies the working class, turning them into
production units, alienating them from their product, work, other workers and ultimately themselves’.
Gregor becomes alienated from his family, his father who takes over his place as the patriarch of the
house and society who neglects him. Therefore, capitalism does not only alienate the worker from himself
but also from those around him.
As Gregor Samsa wakes up as a “huge verminous insect” his thoughts surround the recurring issues of
how he will get to work and deal with his boss. At no point does Gregor question why he has turned into a
bug or how to become human again. Instead, he accepts his situation blindly worrying about finances
while his “hard shell-like back” and “little legs” are described to the reader erasing his humanity. Gregor’s
place as the proletariat is immediately established through his career of a “travelling salesman”. He states
that “if it weren’t for the sake of my parents, I’d given notice long ago”, reflecting on the difficulties of his
“strenuous” job as Kafka uses a lexical field of negatives to dramatically convey his dissatisfaction
towards his work. Gregor reflects on its alienating nature in how “meeting different people for a short
time without ever getting to know them more closely” feels emptying. This represents the first glimpse
we get into Gregor’s alienation which begins before his metamorphosis. It appears that Gregor became
alienated from himself long ago, by doing a job that he does not enjoy. Marx states that the alienation of
the worker occurs when the ‘work is done out of pure economic necessity, not out of a desire to produce
the work’, and this directly applies to Gregor’s situation. It is later revealed that Gregor has been saving
money for his sister’s violin lessons, however as he attempts to fuel his sisters’ dreams, he rejects his own.
In a similar story to the tragedy of Willy Loman in ‘Death of a Salesman’, capitalism has taken a firm grip
on Gregor’s ideology, so he has fallen into the trap of ‘production without desire’. Through this
‘Metamorphosis’ acts as a sinister indictment of how capitalism alienates the worker through their work.
Gregor is unable to control the direction of his own life, instead being forced to serve the needs of the
market becoming merely a means of production. This dehumanises him so he becomes the very
insignificant thing capitalism views him to be – a bug.
Gregor’s fears and worries about his boss’s reaction to his absence force him to belittle himself; “you can’t
just stay in bed doing nothing” and injure himself as he attempts to control his new body in so he can go
to work. Gregor does not see value in himself if he cannot work as he views himself through a capitalist
perspective. He lives in a society where the high value placed on work means that the health of workers is
seen as irrelevant, therefore he views his own life as meaningless if he cannot work. This causes Gregor to
lose touch with his own humanity. Marx stated that as a result of focus on the act of production “man (the
worker) only feels himself freely active in his animal functions” such as eating and drinking. This becomes
present in ‘Metamorphosis’ where Gregor’s only remaining humanity can be seen in his hunger however,
he also becomes alienated from his human tastes. When his sister leaves “a bowl of sweetened milk with
small slices of white bread”, his favourite food, he finds that it is “not at all to his taste”. Gregor begins to
experience a profound sense of disconnect from his own humanity, and here capitalism alienates him not
from himself but from the rest of society by taking away his own humanity.
Gregor questions the harsh treatment he faces after he does not arrive at work wondering “-if such
enquires were necessary at all?”, yet when he is faced with the head clerk, he “stammers” being unable to
articulate his pleas. This represents the Marxist theme of ‘silencing the worker’ where Gregor becomes
alienated further due to his inability to communicate. His struggle is that of the worker. He views the boss
as above him and Kafka represents this elevated position of the capitalist employer through the
heightened imagery describing how he sits “up there on his desk… talking down to his employees”
creating the Orwellian image of power in the controlling capitalist boss. The fact that the head clerk
