The Metamorphosis begins with Gregor Samsa awakening to his "surprise," as some form of vermin. His astonishment, or lack thereof, is what tips me off. At first, the composure Gregor displays during this situation induces a dream-like state of mind, but when it becomes apparent that Gregor has actually become a bug, I have to question Franz Kafka's (the author) intentions.
Following the shock of realizing that Samsa has truly become something otherworldly, I ask myself, what is the point? There is a myriad of possibilities as to what message is being sent by Kafka, but what strikes me the most is the possibility that Kafka is judging some aspect of society. That aspect, which is not completely clear to me as of now, is blown up in a situation in which a person and an insect are interchangeable. Perhaps Kafka is mocking the idea of children subduing to the parents' bidding as shown by Gregor's otherworldly devotion to his responsibilities to his parents. By turning Gregor into an insect, Kafka is comparing children who live for their parents to insects (which, in my view, has a negative connotation).
Kafka stuffs so much into just the first few pages that it is hard to pinpoint the main premise of the novel, but this type of open ended chaos allows for reflection upon personal ideas and ultimately results in a new perspective, like how I now know that I will not be 100% responsible for my parents when I become independent in fear of being changed into a cockroach.
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