Metamorphosis

In this introductory essay, David Cronenberg draws parallels between Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis' and his own experience of aging, as well as his cinematic adaptation of 'The Fly'. Cronenberg argues that Gregor Samsa's transformation into a beetle and his own transition into a seventy-year-old man both represent a forced, irreversible awareness of one's true, mortal nature. He contrasts the science-fiction elements of 'The Fly'—which explores scientific hubris and accelerated aging—with the stark, mundane reality of Kafka's narrative. In 'The Metamorphosis', the horror is not found in a search for existential meaning or religious transcendence, but in the bourgeois banality of a family that views a loved one's transformation as a mere housekeeping problem. Ultimately, Cronenberg suggests that Gregor's death is an act of subservience and love, mirroring how society and family eventually view the disabled or elderly as burdens that would be better off disappearing.

Gregor Samsa awakens to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect. Despite his physical distress and inability to control his new body, his primary concerns remain his demanding job as a traveling salesman and his family's financial debts to his employer. When Gregor fails to depart for work, the general manager visits the Samsa residence to investigate. Gregor attempts to communicate his situation, but his voice is perceived as animalistic. After a laborious struggle to unlock his door, Gregor reveals his form, causing the general manager to flee in horror and his mother to collapse. The chapter concludes with Gregor's father violently driving him back into his room using a walking stick and a newspaper, shoving him through the doorway with such force that Gregor is left bleeding and isolated.

Following his transformation, Gregor adapts to his new physical form and dietary preferences, finding fresh food repulsive while preferring scraps. He discovers that his family is in a precarious financial state, with his father possessing only a small nest egg that cannot sustain them long-term. As Gregor's physical and mental state declines—marked by fading vision and a habit of crawling on walls—his sister, Grete, becomes his primary caregiver. A conflict arises between Grete and their mother over the removal of furniture from Gregor's room; Grete seeks to provide more space, while the mother fears this signifies a loss of hope for a cure and a betrayal of Gregor's human identity. When Gregor clings to a picture of a lady in furs to preserve his human past, his mother faints upon seeing him. The chapter culminates in a violent confrontation when Gregor's father, now revitalized and dressed in a bank porter's uniform, chases Gregor and bombards him with apples. One apple becomes embedded in Gregor's back, causing him to collapse while his mother pleads for his life.

Gregor continues to decline physically and mentally, suffering from a wound caused by an apple lodged in his back. His family, now working to support themselves, treats him with increasing neglect, and his room becomes a storage space for refuse. The household is further complicated by the presence of three fastidious lodgers. Gregor is eventually drawn from his room by the sound of Grete playing the violin, but his appearance causes the lodgers to leave without paying. Grete convinces her parents that the creature is no longer Gregor and must be removed. Weakened by starvation and injury, Gregor returns to his room and dies. Following the removal of his remains by the charwoman, the Samsa family experiences a profound sense of relief and liberation. They take a trip to the countryside, where they discuss their promising career prospects and a move to a more practical apartment, while the parents realize that Grete has blossomed into a beautiful young woman for whom they should find a husband.

In this afterword, translator Susan Bernofsky provides critical and historical context for Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'. She details the novella's composition in 1912 and the subsequent delays in its publication due to World War I. Bernofsky delves into the linguistic challenges of translating the text, specifically the ambiguity of the term 'Ungeziefer' and the motif of 'ruhig/unruhig'. She analyzes Gregor Samsa as a quintessential anti-hero whose physical transformation mirrors his spiritual abasement and lack of agency. Drawing a parallel to Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman', she frames Gregor as a 'sellout' who sacrificed his dignity for his family. Finally, she discusses the tragicomic nature of the work and the specific nuances of the German title 'Verwandlung'.