How does Kafka Comment on 20th Century Capitalism...

How does Kafka Comment on 20th Century Capitalism Throughout the Novel and what Symbolism does he Use to Depict it Firstly, it is important to point out that I don’t believe that the individual characters symbolize a certain social or political group in the novel - the characters’ actions and responses to each other in the in the novel do though, representing a social or political group in a specific situation. For example, the majority of people agree that the father in â€Å"Metamorphosis† represents the powerful capitalist society, being the dominant male figure. If one tries to follow this concept throughout the novel, they will encounter many contradictions. While the father does seem powerful at points, such as when he drives out†¦show more content†¦Kafka aims to show in the novel how the capitalist society hides its ‘dirt’ and doesn’t accept its faults. Gregor, who has become of no use after his transformation, is hidden in hi s dark bedroom, with filth and old furniture, showing the shame and embarrassment he is to his family. This could perhaps be a representation of the capitalist society, and America in the early 1910s, with its ‘perfect’ image of wealth and success, ‘hiding’ those who did not fulfil this image of perfection. This idea of the importance of one’s ‘image’ is further emphasised by the lodgers, possibly the most significant representation of capitalism, who are obsessive about order and cleanliness of the house – a situation that is accentuated by the contrast with the disorder in Gregor’s room. We also witness Gregor being rejected by his own family, who now have become ingrained the capitalist society, as Gregor does not provide for them anymore. Even Gregor’s closest link, his sister, refuses to recognize him as a member of the family, treating him with disgust, touching his food with a rag and spreading it on a newspap er, and ‘as if she were visiting an invalid or even a stranger’. His family’s denial to recognise him as family member after his transformation into an ‘invalid’ of the capitalist society could be alsoShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagespermission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers