Home > The Metamorphosis Summary & Study Guide > Essays and Criticism > The Meaning and Significance of The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis | The Meaning and Significance of The Metamorphosis

In-depth essay exploring the meaning of the story, with special emphasis on the insect symbolism.

Goldfarb has a Ph.D. in English and has published two books on the Victorian author William Makepeace Thackeray. In the following essay, he discusses the significance of the insect symbol in "The Metamorphosis.''

Probably the two most memorable images in "The Metamorphosis’’ occur in its first section: first the picture of Gregor Samsa transformed into an insect, lying on his back in bed and unable to get up, with all his little legs fluttering helplessly in the air; and second the picture of Gregor the giant insect stuck on his side in his bedroom doorway,...

[The entire page is 2094 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...