Marxism in The Metamorphosis
There are infinitely many essays that one could write about The Metamorphosis. One could try to ascertain who is to blame for the events of the story or one could argue that the events of the story never took place except within the mind of Gregor. Regardless, one of the most compelling arguments for the meaning of this novel is that it is meant as a social critique. When one views the events of this novel as a criticism of society, many of the more unusual aspects (a man waking up to find himself a giant insect comes immediately to mind) begin to make a lot of sense. Central to this interpretation of the story is the meaning of the creature that Gregor Samsa is metamorphosed into at the beginning of the story. One of the most obvious interpretations of this giant insect is that the bug is a symbol for Gregor’s position within society. He is part of the working class which is also known as the Marxist Proletariat. Gregor is a drone, a mindless worker, for the societal hive. He has sacrificed any contact with other human beings (apart from his family and co-workers) and does not enjoy any sort of social life. He does not call in sick and never takes a day off: “during his five years with the firm Gregor has not been sick even once” (pg.