Introduction
The Metamorphosis depicts various themes that speculate and analyzes the limitations of humans or rather humanity as a whole. In the very beginning, for instance, in the very first sentence of the novel, The Metamorphosis, it depicts an absurd event that is wildly irrational. For this reason, we get to understand that the novel, its story particularly, deals or rather operates in such a random and chaotic universe. From such a view, we get to understand what the human reaction seems like based on the occurrence of such chaos; thus, this paper aims at analyzing these human limitations as they relate with the events prevailing within the universe as according to the Theory of Abjection by Kristeva. The theory explains these limits in the entity, and so the analysis of The Metamorphosis will keenly be based on its themes which brings out the human limitations.
From the beginning, for example, of the novel, we get to realize the absurdity of life through the occurrence of an absurd event where we find Gregor waking up one morning just to discover his transfiguration into a giant insect. Such an event is beyond human limits or rather beyond the boundaries related to occurrences of nature, such that it is not only unlikely to happen but also that it is impossible physically. Therefore, from such an event, we can argue that the metamorphosis of Gregor depicts a supernatural significance. Moreover, no explanation is further given concerning the turning of Gregor into the insect (giant) as such also adds up on the strangeness of the event beyond further discussions. The story also does not provide an implication for what could have been the real reason as to why Gregor did transform, whether it was a form of punishment or any other causes for maybe misbehaving, it is not given in the story. While controversially Gregor is known to be a good son as well as brother who can go to the extent of taking jobs that he does not like just to make sure there is the provision of food as well as making plans to let his sister pursue music study at the conservatory at his expense. However, no indication is given to show if at all, Gregor deserves his fate. On the contrary, the story itself, as well as the members of the Samsa family, did treat the occurrence as being just a random one and that it was similar to something like simply contracting an illness or disease.
On the other hand, from the story, we get to realize a notion of disconnect between the mind & body such that, the turning by Gregor did alter his physical appearance; however, besides changing his outward look, his mind still remains unchanged, which creates a discord or merely a lack of harmony between his mind & body. This is true based on the analyses by Kristeva who through his Theory of Abjection, tries to explain the human reaction in the Powers of Horror who relates the human reaction that is horror and vomit based on a disconnect between subject and object or between self and the other ("Kristeva’S: Theory Of Abjection"). She further provides an example based on the same, that is, a corpse as causing such type of reaction where there is the loss of the distinction between self & other or the subject & object ("Kristeva’S: Theory Of Abjection"). Other examples she provided include shit, skin forming on the surface of warm milk, sewage, as well as the open wound ("Kristeva’S: Theory Of Abjection").
Furthermore, on the same note, Gregor showed the disconnect between his mind & body when at first, he woke up transformed and instead tried to stretch his body towards uprightness even when his body was not suited for it. Gregor also thinks of attending to his chores even with his strange transformation; with this, he cannot do anything with such a condition. Moreover, at an instant when Grete leaves him milk, Gregor realizes and is surprised that he does not like it anymore despite being his long time favorite drink as a human or rather in a human condition; and now that he is transformed into an insect he does not like it anymore.
Based on another human limitations as of The Metamorphosis, it is discovered that there exist the limits of sympathy. This is evident from the story as of after the transformation of Gregor, the rest of his family members find it difficult, especially to sympathize with him as well as reuniting with him. Gregor’s mother and Grete particularly have great feelings of sympathy for him after his turning; this is true as they have the apparent belief that there still exist some notion or aspect of humanity in him despite the physical change. For this reason, Grete assigns herself the role of being Gregor's caregiver or rather caretaker by making efforts to try and identify what type of food he might like to take after his transformation. This also results in his mother linking up with Grete to collaborate by moving furniture out of his room as they believe he might turn back into human form once again.
In the same case, his father showed the least sympathy towards him after his change, as he did attack Gregor on two occasions. However, the father never suggests or proposes a motion to have Gregor killed, not even does he suggest Gregor's removal from the house. On the contrary, he (father) lets the family give Gregor good care, which shows a sense of compassion that he had for Gregor. Such a relationship is well elaborated in the theory of Abjection by Kristeva as she puts it, “Abjection preserves what existed in the archaism of pre-objectal relationship, in the immemorial violence with which a body becomes separated from another body in order to be" (Powers10). From which we get to understand the primal repression as depicted by Gregor's family through the plan for care through their relationship, which Kristeva terms it as the abject through pre-objectal links.
Another element of human limitation depicted in The Metamorphosis is the alienation that comes out as a result of Gregor’s transformation. This turns out to be the greatest consequence of Gregor's transformation, which is the psychological distance created between Gregor and the people around him. As a result of Gregor’s metamorphosis, there results in a literal and emotional separation between Gregor and the rest of his family members. This is a human limitation as Gregor is seen to have exceeded it, which turns out to be his own imprisonment away from humanity. This is true as, since his metamorphosis, Gregor remains locked down in his room without coming in contact with other persons and thus treated as a non-human creature. It is only Grete who tries to give him company but only for a few minutes of which he even hides under the couch and thus ending up without having an interaction with her. His metamorphosis results in Gregor’s separation from the human race since the transformation makes him no longer a human. It results in his isolation from the rest of the people around him, including the persons he cared for, such as his mother as well as Grete.
The above reactions from Gregor’s family are well explained by Kristeva, as through her theory, she associates the abject with the eruption of the Real into our lives. In particular, she associates such reactions with the rejection of death's insistent materiality. The reactions to such abject material re-charges what is essentially pre-lingual responses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, from the story, The Metamorphosis there exists the feeling of estrangement, which, in a real sense, did precede Gregor's transformation. Therefore, the story brings out the human reactions that can result in such strange feelings, like, for instance, the sense of imprisonment that Gregor had. Thus, the essence of this story is to try and relate various events in the daily lives that are supernatural and how people might really end up perceiving them. The perceptions, as a result, are what classifies the human limits as to what makes on less human or equally human or more human than the other. In understanding this, the reactions that come out, as a result, are crucial to categorize human factors based on Kristeva's Theory of Abjection. The theory further gives an insight into relations, their consequences, their causes, as well as their outcomes as a whole.
