Shifting Gender Roles and Power Dynamics in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis: An Analysis of Grete Samsa's Evolution

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of Grete Samsa in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, focusing on the evolution of gender roles and power dynamics within the Samsa family. While existing scholarship has largely centered on Gregor Samsa, this research shifts attention to Grete, exploring her progression from a submissive sister to a dominant household figure. Through a qualitative textual analysis, the study reveals how Grete’s metamorphosis mirrors societal changes in early 20th-century Europe, particularly regarding women’s shifting roles and the reconfiguration of family hierarchies. Grete’s character development is analyzed using feminist literary criticism and Michel Foucault’s power-knowledge framework, highlighting her ascent to authority and eventual rejection of Gregor as a reflection of broader socio-cultural pressures. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of Kafka’s critique of gender norms and offers insights into the representation of women in modernist literature. The study suggests that Grete’s transformation is emblematic of the struggles women faced during Kafka’s era, torn between traditional roles and modern aspirations.