The Alienation of the Working Poor in Kafkas The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsas abrupt transformation into a giant insect is handled so matter-of-factly by author Franz Kafka that it would be easy to miss the metaphors the author intended. And while we see Gregor in great pain because of his new form, the insect body he now inhabits is a symptom of that suffering, not its root cause. The insect form he takes is a representation of the alienation he feels.