Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis Against Illiteracy

Franz Kafka was a key figure in 20th century literature, particularly in the genre of psychological thrillers. Kafka was born in 1883, he was the oldest child, and only male, in his Jewish family (Konkiewitz & Ziff, 2018, 146). The pressure that he faced, mainly by his father, may have greatly influenced Kafka’s literary work (Konkiewitz & Ziff, 2018, 146). To make up for this lack of communication with his family, Kafka turned to reading and writing as a way to express himself. By examining Franz Kafka’s writing in The Metamorphosis we can see how he argues that literacy for communication, which is a human necessity, can end an individual's alienation. 

Kafka believes that communication is required to sustain relationships and to maintain humanity. In his work, The Metamorphosis, the main character, Gregor Samsa, wakes up one typical work morning and finds that he has been transformed into an insect. Kafka writes “...he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin” (Kafka, 1915). This physical transformation marks the beginning of Gregor’s complete isolation from society. Just as he is alienated from his family because of his transformation, people who struggle with illiteracy are often alienated from other members of society because they lack the typical communication methods.

The first reason for Gregor’s alienation comes from his lack of speech. After Gregor realizes he has been turned into a bug, he still tries his best to speak to his family. He observed that “...they couldn’t understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him…” (Kafka, 1915). Because he could not speak with them, his family grew concerned and eventually discovered his new condition. In the same way many who are illiterate, even if they are only functionally illiterate, do not always possess the ability to carry a verbal conversation as fluidly as others. In an article by Frontiers in Psychology they note that many studies “have shown that functional illiterates have phonological processing deficits” (Vágvölgyi et al., 2016, 5).This trouble in conversing, which confined Gregor Samsa to himself, is also what confines so many illiterate individuals in today’s world to themselves. 

The alienation also comes from Gregor’s loss of worth within his family. Gregor was the primary provider for his entire family. This role was what Gregor placed his value in and also what his family valued him for, and even after his initial transformation, he still insisted upon trying to get to work. The scene is described as he tried to get ready for his job, while still an insect, with the narrator saying “Gregor was still there and had not the slightest intention of abandoning his family” (Kafka, 1915). In the real world today, many people place their value in how much money they make or how much they can contribute to their family. Those with illiteracy, however, can struggle with finding a job to support their dependents and can have a hard time providing for them. The World Literacy Foundation reported that “Illiterate people earn 30%-42% less than their literate counterparts and do not have the literacy skills required to undertake further vocational education or training to improve their earning capacity” (Cree et al., 2023, 4). The loss of self worth that Gregor feels is a representation of what illiterate individuals feel in their careers.

 Another instance that showcases alienation comes from an altercation that Gregor has with his father. Gregor escapes from the room his family has imprisoned him in one day, just as his father returns home. His father takes apples off the table and begins throwing them at Gregor, trying to drive him back into the room. Kafka says “Gregor froze in shock; there was no longer any point in running as his father had decided to bombard him” (Kafka, 1915). These types of violent interactions can be more common with individuals with illiteracy, because, although they fear the violence, it can be more difficult for an illiterate person to leave than to stay (Raza et al., 2025, 647). Research conducted in Pakistan concluded that “major causes of domestic violence were found as illiteracy, unemployment and income problems” (Raza et al., 2025, 648). This show of violence only contributes to Gregor’s isolation which can mirror how an illiterate domestic violence victim might also fall into alienation. 

The Metamorphosis places high value on communication. However, after his transformation, Gregor lives his life as an alien, an outsider. His family is so afraid and ashamed of him that his sister says she wants him to leave or even be killed, and he feels the same eventually. Kafka wrote “If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister” (Kafka, 1915). In the same way, many who are functionally illiterate cannot effectively communicate with other people, which can lead to them feeling a disconnect from others, much like Gregor. In this story Gregor eventually dies after the lack of communication and cooperation with his family. This kind of depression can be common in people who struggle with illiteracy. A study done by Cambridge University found that “Illiteracy in elderly individuals was associated with a higher rate and increased severity of depression” (Kim et al., 2014, 1669). This demonstrates the importance that Kafka placed on communication, which can come in a literate form, that humans need to survive.

 By examining Franz Kafka’s writing in The Metamorphosis we can see how he argues that literacy for communication, which is a human necessity, can end an individual's alienation.  It is possible to make the inference that Franz Kafka thought that literacy was a crucial aspect to a better life. Kafka himself turned to writing to make up for the lack of communication he had within his family (Konkiewitz and Ziff, 2018, 146). He shows just how necessary this communication is through his main character Gregor Samsa who is transformed, alienated, treated as worthless, assaulted, and eventually killed by his own disconnect (Kafka, 1915). Through these events we can see how detrimental these things can be to an individual.  This graphic description of an individual's mental decline should stir everyone to take action against the social epidemic of illiteracy. No one should be made to suffer through social isolation for this one quality. 

References

Cree, A., Kay, A., & Steward, J. (2023). The Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy: A Snapshot of Illiteracy in a Global Context. 1-17.

 Kafka, F. (1915). The Metamorphosis. Kurt Wolff.

Kim, B.-S., Lee, D.-W., Bae, J. N., Chang, S. M., Kim, S., Kim, K. W., Rim, H.-D., Park, J. E., & Cho, M. J. (2014). Impact of illiteracy on depression symptomatology in community-dwelling older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 26(10), 1669 - 1678.

Konkiewitz, E. C., & Ziff, E. B. (2018). Letter to His Father by Franz Kafka: Literary Reconstruction of a Traumatic Childhood? Neurological Disorders in Famous Artists – Part 4, 43, 145-163.

Raza, H., Kanwal, W., Kiran, A., & Anjum, M. S. (2025). Husband Illiteracy as a Determinant of Domestic Violence Against Married Women in Rural Areas of District Rajan Pur. ACADEMIA International Journal for Social Sciences, 4(1`), 647-655.

Vágvölgyi, R., Coldea, A., Dresler, T., Schrader, J., & Nuerk, H.-C. (2016). A Review about Functional Illiteracy: Definition, Cognitive, Linguistic, and Numerical Aspects. Frontiers in Psychology.