Kafa's Metamorphasis

References to food are a recurring theme in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. The food that Gregor eats to strengthen his physical body reflects the attention that he receives from his family to satisfy his emotional appetite. As the story progresses, the family grows more distant, and Gregor's eating habits decline until, at the story's end, Gregor dies of physical - and emotional - starvation.

Even before he discovers a way to crawl out of his bed, Gregor thinks about his hunger. Kafka describes Gregor as "ravenous" and says that he wants "above all [to] have breakfast (Kafka p.89)", even before contemplating what to do about his condition. The next time that Kafka mentions food in relation to Gregor is when his sister has left food for him while he was sleeping. Gregor is "hungrier now than in the morning (p.88)" and is overjoyed to find that his sister had thoughtfully brought him a bowl of milk, his favorite thing to drink. The milk however, fails to satisfy him as it had before his transformation. The sister's thoughtfulness in bringing Gregor milk reveals the family's concern for Gregor and their willingness to offer assistance; Gregor's change in taste reflects the change that has occurred in his relationship with his family. Though they still care for him and desire to help him, the dynamic of the relationship has been inevitably altered. He is no longer their provider, he is the now dependant.

This family's interest, however, fades, as the monotony of caring for Gregor becomes more of a burden to the family as they try to carry on with their lives. As the story progresses, the sister's meticulous care for Gregor turns into an apathetic and compulsory ritual:

"No longer paying any heed to what might be a special treat for Gregor, the sister, before hurrying off to work in the morning and after lunch, would use her foot to shove some random food into Gregor's room. Then, in the evening, indifferent as to whether the food had been merely tasted or - most often the case - left entirely untouched, she would sweep it out with a swing of the broom (p. 114)."

This lack of concern for Gregor is mirrored both by Gregor's attitude toward the family and by his lack of interest in food. Gregor was "filled with sheer rage at being poorly looked after" and "unable to picture anything that might tempt his appetite (p. 114)". On the surface, it seems ironic that Gregor is angry because the sister does not care for him well enough even though he does not eat what she does provide for him. On closer examination, however, this paradox vanishes because what Gregor truly desires is not temporal food, but the intangible nourishment that could be derived from the love of his family. Although Gregor is not fully aware of it yet, he is not angry because his room isn't kept clean or because he isn't provided with proper food; but because he would later discover, he longs simply for the love and attention of his family.

Gregor's disinterest in food is revealed, when Gregor hears his sister playing her violin for the boarders. Gregor "felt as if he were being shown the path to the unknown food he was yearning for (p. 115)." Finally, Gregor realizes what it is that he truly desires. He covets the attention of those that used to love him. He wants his sister to come into his room, "sit next to him," and "remain with him not by force, but of