Humor in Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

In his tale "Metamorphosis," Franz Kafka employs humor at many stages to convey a specific meaning. I found it amusing when I saw Gregor, the main character, and he discovers he has been turned into a dung beetle or insect. The author never explains why or how Gregor changed, only focusing on how he and other people, including his family members, coped with this odd and drastic transition. The way Gregor and his family deal with the transformation are typical but hilarious. Gregor's presence is acknowledged by the family members, but he is ignored in a variety of respects. All of the members save for the cleaning lady remained clear of him. It is funny when the cleaning lady refers to Gregor as the old dung beetle. However, she does this in a friendly way, and she does not mean to humiliate him. When one considers the transformation Gregor goes through, he or she can realize that this is a representation of what happens in people’s lives in this world. Notably, people go through different transformations such as losing jobs and ultimately becoming power, losing a husband or wife through divorce, going through an accident and eventually becoming physically impaired among other ugly transformations. In whichever case, the family members have to cope with the situation and still elect to accept such a person. However, things might not be the same again following such a transformation, and the affected person might be seen or treated differently. All in all, the family members have no choice but to accept the new situation and live with it for the long it can take.