Furniture and Character in Kafka's Metamorphosis Anonymous 11th Grade

The human mind is so active that an individual experiences approximately 70,000 thoughts each day. These thoughts are often conflicting in their nature, as the stream of consciousness does not readily divide thoughts into categories, and thoughts enter and exit the mind freely. The novella Metamorphosis by France Kafka strongly presents a character that faces two conflicting desires and tendencies of character. Gregor is plagued between his social desire of being human and belonging and a new animalistic side, which oppresses these social constructs. Kafka successfully uses furniture within Metamorphosis as a portal between these two sides, and how they both aid but also hinder Gregor in keeping what is left of his humanity. This work by Franz Kafka can also be read as a critique of the human inclination and how individuals place too much value on social constructs, in terms of identity, relationships, and values- a topic that will be discussed in the conclusion.

The conflicting tendencies of Gregor’s character commence at the preamble of this novella when Gregor first awakens in his transmogrified state. He is no longer a human, but a cockroach – an insect exaggeratingly less complex in thought process and thought-movement...