In the Metamorphosis, a work originally written in German by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa, a salesman, undergoes a transformation into a repulsive creature. The transformation occurs before the actual events of the tale, and the story focuses on the outcome of that transformation and how it affects both Gregor and those around him. Gregor represents Kafka, and throughout the story, Kafka uses Gregor to express his feelings and personal events in his life. Kafka expresses these aspects of his life through various details such as Gregor's appearance, Gregor's unstable relationship with his father, and Gregor's inability to communicate with those around him. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka uses Gregor's appearance to describe how he believes other people see him in real life. Kafka was a very insecure person and avoided others because he felt that he was visually unattractive and that people were not attracted to him. Kafka uses Gregor to symbolize himself, realizing one of the most obvious details, Gregor's transformation into a loathsome creature. Kafka is very ambiguous about Gregor's transformation. Many people believe that Gregor transformed into a cockroach, while others believe that he may be another type of insect. However, it is clear that Gregor has transformed into a loathsome and disgusting creature. However, Kafka indirectly creates the impression that Gregor is a vile creature by exploiting the reactions of those around him. An example that is presented at the beginning of the story is when the assistant manager comes to Samsa's house to ask why Gregor didn't show up for work. Gregor, having recently undergone metamorphosis, is in his room and is adapting to his new body. He somehow manages to open the door to reply... middle of paper... to express his feelings. If Gregor is unable to do these things, he risks being completely alienated from his family. In the Metamorphosis, Kafka uses various details and events to express his feelings and personal events in his life. Kafka uses Gregor to symbolize himself and uses him primarily as a means to express these aspects of his own life. Kafka transforms Gregor into a vile creature to express his feelings about his own physical characteristics. He also uses Gregor's unstable relationship with his father to show his relationship with his father and uses Gregor's alienation and voice change as a way to show his disconnection with those around him. The Metamorphosis, in a sense, is not a fictional story, but an autobiography in which Kafka attempts to show the world the extent of his suffering. Works Cited http://www.egs.edu/library/franz-kafka/biography/