Franz Kafka's short story "The Metamorphosis" deals with a man who turns into some sort of insect, resulting in a conflict between the household and the transformed individual. Whether the man, Gregor Samsa, literally or figuratively turns into a bug is not known. The story is full of themes and symbols that Kafka uses to make his story as ambiguous, yet as comprehensible, as possible. In fact, the symbols and themes are interconnected.
             The most important theme is the idea of change and alienation. "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect" (Kafka 962). The climax of the story seems to be the first few words, allowing the reader to be shocked from the beginning and to learn what has led to such a change. The reader does not know what sort of insect is implied through Kafka, so I will describe the bug as a beetle. From the outset, George Samsa mutates into a beetle, a fact that later becomes known to him. He is repulsive to look at and his boss "leaped down several steps and vanished" (Kafka 972) to avoid the sight of Gregor. This sort of isolation is dangerous and frightening. His only way he can see what is happening is through the small crack in the door that his sister leaves for him. The Samsa family approaches him with caution, as if he were some sort of monster and not the son and brother he once was. His entire family despises !
             him and eventually realizes that he is no longer a component of the household (Corngold 69). This is reflective of his life at work, where he is always traveling and has no companions outside of the world he has created for himself. He is completely isolated from any social existence and his employers only care for his arrival at his job, not for his welfare. No soul can survive without friends and communication because it is vital for a person to grow. Another way to view his metamorphos...