EXPLOITATION AS THE REAL IMPLIED THEME OF FRANZ KAFKA’S NOVELLA, ‘THE METAMORPHOSIS’

Abstract

Deep analysis of the novella, The Metamorphosis, reveals that although it makes appeal to people of all ages on account of its interesting story, yet between the lines, it relates a very serious and somber account of the constant exploitation of the poor class at the hands of the upper class, under the Capitalist system. The researcher aimed at bringing to light that implied message of the story on which, in the eyes of the researchers, is based the real worth of the novella. The novella has very exquisitely demonstrated the physical and mental deterioration caused by the exploitative system of capitalism. The story shows the slaughtering of the central figure from the poor class, Gregor, and his innocent wishes, at the altar of Capitalism. Under the story of Gregor, who one night gets transformed into a bug, Kafka tells us that for Gregor, the point of concern is not his transformation into an insect but rather the fear of the consequent loss of his job and the consequent failure of earning bread and butter for himself and his family. The overriding concern of a person in the materialistic and extremely hostile anti-social environment ensuing from capitalism is to ensure one’s mere survival against odds. The height of tragedy is reached when the family for which Gregor had been so much concerned could not put up with him in his jobless condition, as it hampered their own race for survival, and wished to get rid of him. The society becomes so much bereft of social values in Capitalism that it cannot afford to establish selfless social relationships. Kafka has been successful in showing that all this turmoil, moral degradation, social depravity, un-ending labour and fragile social bonding in the lives of individuals can be attributed to the existence of this hideous factor of exploitation, operative under Capitalism.