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The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect. The story follows Gregor’s struggles to adapt to his new form and his family’s reaction to the transformation. Throughout the story, Kafka creates a mood of melancholy, dullness, and discomfiture that reflects Gregor’s grim and uncomfortable situation.

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The Mood of Metamorphoses

The mood of Metamorphoses is one of melancholy, dullness, and discomfiture. From the very beginning of the story, the narrator sets the tone of the story with his description of Gregor’s transformation. The narrator paints a picture of a man who is confused and horrified by his transformation, and the description of his new body is filled with despair and dread. The narrator also describes Gregor’s surroundings in a way that reflects his grim and claustrophobic situation. The rooms in his family’s apartment are described as “barely furnished” and “sparsely decorated,” creating a sense of gloom and emptiness.

The mood of the story is further reinforced by the reactions of Gregor’s family. His parents and sister are horrified by his transformation and unable to accept it. They are filled with a sense of dread and revulsion, and their reactions to Gregor are filled with fear and disgust. Even when Gregor attempts to communicate with them, they remain distant and unwilling to understand him. This creates a sense of alienation and loneliness that further adds to the melancholy mood of the story.

The mood of Metamorphoses is one of melancholy, dullness, and discomfiture. Kafka creates this mood through his descriptions of Gregor’s transformation and his surroundings, as well as through the reactions of his family. This mood reflects Gregor’s grim and uncomfortable situation, and it serves to emphasize the themes of alienation and loneliness that are present throughout the story.