This blog post examines the questions about the meaning of human existence and the nature of relationships raised through Gregor’s transformation in ‘The Metamorphosis’.
What would happen if I woke up one day to find myself transformed into a giant insect? This premise, explored in Franz Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung), might feel somewhat unsettling and absurd. Yet, this novel posed profound questions to me about existence and relationships.
Living beings, especially humans, generally strive to maintain their existence. Why does this survival instinct exist? We fear loss in any form. Whether internal or external, loss brings us pain, and we tend to avoid this suffering. We strive to sustain our existence by maintaining the integrity of our bodies and minds. This seems to be a major driving force behind our being. Yet, this mindset often leads to contradictory situations.
In the film Forrest Gump, the character Lieutenant Dan Taylor (played by Gary Sinise) appears as a dedicated soldier. He fears becoming a disabled veteran after suffering severe injuries in war, preferring to refuse rescue and choose death instead. He is so consumed by the fear of loss and pain that he is willing to abandon his very existence. Watching Lieutenant Dan Taylor, I thought, ‘The instinct to avoid loss only explains the principle of maintaining existence; it fails to explain why humans should exist within a larger framework.’
The protagonist Gregor Samsa in ‘The Metamorphosis’ seeks his reason for existence in his relationships with others. However, when he transforms into a bug and loses his social role, his very reason for existence gradually fades away, ultimately leading to his death. When I first read this novel in middle school, I felt bewildered that the reason for human existence could be so easily shaken. Yet, upon encountering this work a second time later, it seemed as if the author was telling me, ‘What this novel shows cannot be the entirety of the reason for human existence. Seek out other essential reasons.’
For most people, belonging to various groups like family, workplace, or society means that relationships and a sense of belonging constitute a significant part of their reason for existence. But even if one were to lose those relationships and sense of belonging, is there no independent reason for existence—one that doesn’t depend on others—that would still allow them to exist?
French philosopher René Descartes’ famous statement, “I think, therefore I am (Cogito, ergo sum),” is well-known. Descartes argued that we can find our reason for existence not so much in the objective world we interact with, but rather in the workings of our inner world. The stories of those who find their reason for existence through free thought, even when their bodies are not free, remind us that pursuing happiness within our inner world is a crucial foundation of human existence.
Then, for those living with loss, alienation, and anxiety like the protagonist of ‘The Metamorphosis,’ what is the reason to persist in existence not only within the inner world but also in the external world? I believe it is precisely because of life’s diverse possibilities and the hope they generate. Those satisfied with their present life wish for that happiness to continue, while those who are not live in anticipation of future change. We can dream of hope thanks to the infinite possibilities we encounter in every moment of life.
When encountering news or articles, I often feel that modern society frequently judges a person’s reason for existence instrumentally, based on their position, role, and surrounding circumstances. Within this society, each of us also has few opportunities to contemplate our own essential reason for being. Yet, in the quiet time at the end of the day, let us think freely about our reason for existence. Such reflection will become an important foundation for living a more consistent and clear life.
