Samsa in Kafka and Murakami

Published in 1915, Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis portrays an excellent criticism of capitalist culture.  The protagonist, a man by the name of Gregor Samsa, is an overworked salesman who is forced to turn his career his entire life in order to maintain his family economically afloat. After inexplicably transforming into a giant beetle, Samsa sees all of his hard work and earnings disappear in the span of months. His family, which he had once supported in every way possible, begins to despise him and starts seeing him as a burden. Even his little sister, who Kafka carefully described as an extremely kind and considerate person, is eventually corrupted by her hatred for her transformed brother.

The message interpreted from the short story seems to be relatively direct. Samsa was not appreciated because of the person he was. Rather, the protagonist was defined by the asset he represented to the company he worked for and the family he supported. Thus, Samsa spends the rest of his life secluded in a room with little to no attention from what are supposed to be his loved ones. As a beatle, Samsa is not only ignored but actively attacked and treated as a threat. 

Being constantly subjected to such harsh conditions definitely leaves Samsa in a peculiar state, as he is deprived of both attention and affection. Within Kafka's narrative, the protagonist is lead down a path that ultimately leads to his demise. However, what if Samsa had had a shot at redemption? What if someone offered him the affection he had been so desperately craving ever since his transformation into a beetle?

Luckily, Murakami answers those questions perfectly. Considering that the Japanese author did not want to offer a sequel to an already complete story, Murakami chose to begin from an alternate timeline. Possibly, Murakami's story begins little after the family discovers Samsa's new identity. Proof of this can be found by the fact that the lock to Samsa's room is already broken and by the dining table being fully set. Although it is left to the reader's interpretation, it could be that Samsa's beetle repelled the family so much that it fled the house immediately. Considering the amount of time that it takes Samsa to readjust to his human body, it can also be assumed that Murakami's protagonist had been a beetle for a long while.

In Murakami's world, Samsa is aroused even by minimal conversations with the female locksmith. Both in mind, as he attently observes the locksmith's every move while wishing for her to stay as long as possible, and in body, with numerous paragraphs dedicated to Samsa's curiosity towards his own penis. 

In this new world, Samsa should be able to enjoy his life more than the previous one. For instance, the ongoing conflict mentioned by the locksmith suggests that modern society has crumbled alongside the capitalist system that distinguished it. Therefore, Samsa is free from his obligations to the company that previously employed him. Lastly, the lack of family members within the house mean that Samsa no longer has to tend to anyone but himself. Overall, the new setting brought forth by Murakami presents a world in which Samsa is free of responsibilities, one in which he can enjoy simply being human. 

- Daniele Piperno