A hardworking man goes to bed one night and wakes up, late for work, as a cockroach. That is how Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, begins.  The twist, however, is that the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, hardly seems to notice. In this way Kafka begins the novel with a splash of Existential philosophy. As the reader soon learns, Gregor is “a tool to this boss.”  He realizes that he has become a cockroach, but views this change as he might view a slight change in the weather. He hardly notices because internally he has been a cockroach long before his physical metamorphosis.

            We learn that Gregor is a traveling salesman. He hates his job but feels obligated to perform it because of his parents. They are indebted to his boss, and because of their advanced age it is left to Gregor to fulfill their debt. He spends day after day at this work, consumed yet unfulfilled. He has not missed a day of work in five years. 

            Existential thought was developed around the principle that there is no god. Rather than continually striving to abide by god’s laws and earning one’s way to heaven, Existentialists would argue, individuals must strive to define themselves in a way that they feel suits them and must stand by the character they have made for themselves. The “essence” that Gregor has created for himself, however, is one that is not even human. The grind of his life is such that he has had no experiences that have affirmed his humanity, and while he has appeared physically human up until the point where the novel begins his “essence” had long been that of a cockroach.

            Over the first few pages of the novel Gregor grapples with his new reality. His main focus, however, is how he can get to work. He frets what his boss might think, not of his change, but of his tardiness.

            During this early phase of the novel, Gregor’s tone changes quickly from proud, with a focus on the good things he has done for his firm (“If he were to say he was sick…that would be…suspicious because during his five years with the firm Gregor had not been sick even once.”), to self-demeaning. To this extent, Gregor eventually predicts that his boss will treat his calling in sick that day in the exact same way as he would treat anyone’s request (in regards to the boss’ reaction and the health insurance doctor). Despite what he perceives he has done for the company, he is not special.

            His father is the first one to realize that something is wrong with Gregor. Not long after Gregor wakes up his father shouts into his room to inquire why he is still in bed. Gregor speaks with his parents briefly with the door to his room locked firmly. At this point he fully recognizes that he has become something other than a human, but still only sees it as an impediment to going to work. His parents continue to ask him to leave his room, to which he continually says no. To them he says that he is sick, while he still contemplates how he can get to work. As his talks to them his words become less audible. His voice is becoming that of an insect.

            When Gregor’s boss finally does arrive at Gregor’s house, as Gregor predicted that he would, he shatters what little pride Gregor has and diminishes the work he has done for the firm they work for. As stated, Gregor has worked tirelessly at a job he dislikes for five years. Hardly life affirming, Gregor takes certain comfort in the fact that he was particularly good at his job and is the most hardworking member of his firm. When his boss arrives to warn him on his tardiness it is revealed that, in truth, Gregor is quite a poor salesman. The reader realizes that some of the examples that Gregor used previously to support the quality of his work are actually evidence of his eccentricity.  

            In desperation, and in an attempt to convince his boss that he was in fact a good worker, Gregor finally leaves his room to speak with his boss. For the first time that the others see him after his change. As he tries to open his room’s lock his family gives him encouragement, thinking that he is very ill, but when they see him they are disgusted. His boss flees the property and his mother has a panic attack, thinking that the insect has eaten her son. His father promptly chases Gregor back into his room and the chapter ends.