One way to read Gregor’s transformation in The Metamorphosis is as an analogy for the changes in bodily experience and self-perception that are wrought by serious illness. In this article we look at the we look at the psychological and physical illnesses Franz Kafka bore and how they may have contributed to the creation of his most famous novella.

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In Kafka’s Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis), Gregor Samsa finds himself turned into a ‘monstrous vermin’ and is rejected by his own family. The term ‘vermin’ here is usually understood to be a type of insect, due to its six legs. In this article we look at human responses to insects: why is it that so many people dislike insects? And does it matter?

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