The essay prompt asks to find examples in the Kafka story that illustrate this particular Marxian concept. Since Marx’s theory of “estranged labor” consists of four distinct types of alienation, a good way to approach the task would be to consider those four types and then try to find a few examples from the Kafka story that illustrate these ideas about the dehumanizing, corrupting, and antisocial effects of capitalism.

According to Marx, the four types of alienation describe:

1. The estrangement, or separation, of the individual from the products of their labor, which they don’t own,
2. The removal of any sense of meaning and fulfillment that the individual might find in their work processes, because the labor is monitored and not freely given,
3. The estrangement of the individual from the essential humanity of their own bodies and selves, suppressing their unique potential and sense of purpose.
4. The alienation of workers and citizens from each other, as social relationships become increasingly transactional, or businesslike, rather than based in fellowship and community.

With some imagination, all of the above types can be found reflected in some form through the characters and situations in The Metamorphosis. The whole story is based on the idea of the dehumanizing effects of the work people do to make a living, as well as the economic burdens that dictate and limit peoples’ choices and freedom. Look at the other characters in the story, their motivations, and their relationships with Gregor, consider how Gregor feels about his job as a salesman and his future prospects, and Marx’s themes of alienation should be apparent.