The short story, “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, was so popular that it was translated from German into English and a handful of other languages. The infamous first line and the brutally honest writing enrapture the reader as they explore the world through the eyes of Gregor Samsa, a hardworking salesman man who sacrifices his sanity and logic to provide for his parents and sister. It begins abruptly, with the main character waking up to discover that he had turned into a bug. Calmly accepting this fact, he tries to continue with his life as normal, but his attempts are foiled during his interactions with his family. They treat him like a dirty animal and he is shunned from the family life. Occupying an adjacent living room, he is fed by his sister in a manner that minimizes contact. The reader explores the daily lives of a poor family as they struggle to cope with financial burdens, the loss of their son, and the sudden appearance of a large insect in their house.
Through an intimate first person narration, the reader can feel the struggle of Gregor as he attempts to come to terms with his new state and communicate with his family. He tries to signal to them his feelings, but is unable to overcome his family’s fears of dealing with a bug. The book translates xenophobic feelings of the time into a harmless and amusing story. Franz Kafka does a good job of balancing heavy and cloying sentimentality with lighthearted humor that originates from the elementary thoughts of Gregor as an animal. The clash between man and insect culminate as they each become frustrated with one another and they are each forced to take extreme measures.
This is a fantastic book for any age group as there are no hidden themes that one has to decode. Everything is written out in plain text and there are no interpretations of the literature. Readers of any age can find a little chuckle as they explore the daily adventures of a man who has transformed into a whole other specimen. The xenophobia can be applied to real world interactions and there is a lesson to be learned by anyone.