THE INSECT AND THE WORKER: THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHARACTER GREGOR SAMSA IN THE METAMORPHOSIS

Abstract

This article aimed to provide a brief discussion on the construction of the character Gregor Samsa in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (2018). To this end, a historical contextualization of the period in which the work was written was first presented, followed by an analysis of the influence of two central themes in the development of the character: dehumanization/humanization, in relation to Gregor’s metamorphosis, and the value attributed to work, considering the social transformations of the early twentieth century. As a theoretical framework, the study drew on the reflections of historian Cotrim (1995) regarding the Second Industrial Revolution and its consequences for societies, as well as Rego’s (2014) master’s thesis, which addresses the concepts of dehumanization and humanization. It was therefore concluded that the themes discussed are fundamental to the construction of Gregor as a character who represents the collective through the individual, and to the narrative itself, which portrays values characteristic of its time—values that can still be observed in contemporary society. Finally, given the interpretive richness of the work, further studies are suggested in order to deepen discussions on these and other themes.