How to survive in the modern society

【Abstract】As the representative of Kafkas short story， The Metamorphosis depicts the miserable death of a traveling salesman with many symbols and irony. But the literature value is more than just pointing out the difficulty for the survival of the modern people. The story tries to guide us to think about how to survive in this modern society. So this thesis will analyze this aspect from three points， including personal self-examination， supporting of family members and a good social condition.

【Key words】survival； self-examination； family； society

Franz Kafka （3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924） was born into a middle-class， German-speaking Jewish family and trained as a lawyer. Kafka was a Modernist and heavily influenced other genres， including existentialism. In The metamorphosis， the story tells us a traveling salesmans transformation. Through this short story， its very difficult for a man surviving in this kind of world. Then how to survive in this modern society？ What should we get from this story？ This thesis is going to discuss it.

1. Self-examination

If Gregor wants to survive in this complicated world， he should make self-examination. He should think why he always tries to avoid difficulties， why he couldnt find a job that he enjoys and also can earn money， and why he always sacrifices himself but receives no happiness.

1.1 Why Gregor always tries to avoid difficulties

Gregor always wants to escape from the reality. Just as the proverb says， God helps those who help themselves. If Gregor really wants to survive in this modern society， he should depend on himself and try to face difficulties and then solve it.

Firstly， Gregor could not tolerate his boss who is seeking nothing but profits. So in Gregors mind， he wants to transform so that he has no need to work as a salesman and pay his parents debt.

Secondly， when Gregor wakes up that morning from dreams， he finds himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. He is frightened by himself. At that time， the idea of escaping from reality occurs in his mind. He thinks privately that “how about going back to sleep for a few minutes and forgetting all this nonsense”. （Kafka： 3） So as a person in this material pursuit society， people should always think about themselves again and again. Am I right， or wrong？

Thirdly， one day when Gregor in his living room， he sees through the crack in the door， he finds that in the kitchen the gas has been lit， and all the other room is all still although the apartment certainly is not empty. From the quotations selecting from the story， Gregors shortcomings can be found out. Many readers just think highly of his commitment to his family. Actually he is also a person who is willing to escape difficulty instead of solve problems through hardworking.

1.2 Why Gregor could not find a job that he enjoys

Gregor has so many complaints about his boss， his works and his managers. He says as a salesman he has to travel， worry about changing trains， and perhaps the most boring thing is that he has to get up very early. In his own words， “this getting up so early makes anyone a complete idiot. Human beings have to have their sleep. Other traveling salesmen live like harem women.” （Kafka： 4） it seems that his work is not very good and he is so tired of his work. But thinking again， firstly， why do other traveling salesmen just live like harem women but he always works outside？ If he could do very well in this kind of business， he must be promoted one day and live like harem women. Secondly， if he really hates this job and he wants more sleep， why does he just seek another job which can also earn money for his family？ He says that “if I did not hold back for my parents sake， I would have quit long ago， I would have marched up to the boss and spoken my piece from the bottom of my heart” （Kafka： 4） he has another five or six years to stay at this company， but in his inner heart， he may be want his boss die or being sick. So how could he get along with his boss for such a long time？ The best way to solve this problem is to change a job which he loves. However Gregor is very stubborn， he has never got the thought of resignation.

2. Supporting of family members

Gregor is a money-earning machine in his family. His parents feel proud of his sons hardworking. But after Gregors transformation， it seems everything has been changed. His father becomes a violent people to him and his mother becomes just a stranger， at last the whole family desert him including his sister.

2.1 Gregors fathers isolation of Gregor after his transformation

Gregors father is a strict person and Gregor is a little afraid of him. The relationship between Gregor and his father is not very well.

When Gregors body already projects halfway out of his bed， its really difficulty for him to get out of his bed without hurt himself. The easiest way to achieve his goal is to get some help. At that time， he thinks of two strong persons—his father and his maid. It will be easy for them just shoving their arms under his arched back. Then he will land the floor safely. But he just represses his thoughts. In their inner heart， there is no strong love between each other. In our Chinese old saying， blood is thicker than water. But it is not the same situation in Gregors family.

Gregors father isolates Gregor and regards him as a monster. When Gregors mother is near death because of his fault， his father comes back. He then throws so many apples against Gregors back. Gregor stops dead with fear because further running is useless and his father is determined to bombard him. How could a father become so cruel to his son？

2.2 Gregors mothers inability towards Gregors transformation

Gregors mother is a kindhearted woman. She is the person who really cares Gregor but she does nothing but listens to her husbands order. When Gregors mother and the manager are talking with Gregor outside of Gregors room， his mother finds out that she could not understand what Gregor is talking about. So she becomes to doubt whether is Gregor being sick or not. Then she asks her daughter immediately， and says “Grete！Grete！ Go to the doctors immediately. Gregor is sick. Hurry， get the doctor. Did you just hear Gregor talking？” （Kafka： 12） Gregors mother wants to help her son to become healthy but as a woman she has no choice and her own health condition is not very good.

3. Formation of a good social condition

Only when the country becomes powerful and prosperous can families become rich. The social condition is very important. Only there is a good social condition can the people survive in this society. Gregor suffers so much pressure from the society. The following part will analyze this aspect.

3.1 The boss indifferent towards his staff

Gregors boss is a person who only cares for money. When Gregor is late for his jobs， he sends the office manager to his home. It can show that his boss is a doubtful person and has no trust on any person. He thinks that the salesman can get over a sickness without staying home. The office manager is also very indifferent. He is a cold to anybody and he always tries to threat others with money and job.

In the business world， making profits is the most important thing a businessman should do but people should also be more considerate about the surrounding person.

3.2 The servants begging for dismissal

In Gregors family， there is a maid who cooks for them and cleans their rooms. But after Gregor transforms into a monstrous vermin， she wants to dismiss. The story tells， “on the very first day the maid –… as if for the greatest favor that had ever been done to her in his house….” （Kafka： 25） it seems that the maid is frightened by what happens to Gregor， so she wants to escape from his family. This point can show the disloyalty of the servants in that society. People have no sympathy on their friends misfortune. When there come disaster， they will desert their relatives or friends and hide in their own haven.

In conclusion， Kafka depicts an absurd and misery world which its difficult for a common people to survive. The traveling salesman is a good example. Gregor suffers so much from the family and the society. This literature work is to guide us to think about our own real life. How to survive in the real world which is material pursuing and has no emotion？ People should first change ourselves and then our family and at last try to change our society.

References：

[1]Franz Kafka，“The Metamorphosis”（the text of this essay is from the course “British and American Popular Literature”）.

[2]“Franz Kafka” November 17，2012 .

[3]樂晓峰.论《变形记》中的生存意识[D].华中师范大学.2010.

[4]李佩芸.试析《变形记》中所揭示的各类关系的全面异化[J].社科纵横.2010.

作者简介：吴齐（1990-），女，汉族，岳西县人，现就职于安徽外国语学院大学外语教研部，硕士研究生，助教，主要研究方向：文学。