The American Heritage Dictionary defines metamorphosis as “a marked change in appearance, character, state, or function.” This definition allows us to build a solid basis for discussing the Marxist theories observed in Franz Kafka's short story, “The Metamorphosis”. The main idea developed from Marxism is that money is power. This is first felt through the idea that the main character, Gregor Samsa, is a hardworking traveling salesman who has never missed a day of work in his life. It is stated that Gregor is working to raise "the money needed to repay my parents' debt [to him]." (Kafka 4) Since Gregor is seen as a hard worker, he is an example of the proletariat class; derived from Marxism. The proletariat class is generally considered the working class, while the upper middle class (Gregor's family) is the bourgeoisie. Gregor knows that his only way to survive is to continue working, even if his work brings him no benefits other than a meager salary. He says, “If I had not held back for the sake of my parents, I would have stopped long ago” (Kafka 4). It is only monetary necessity that pushes him to work every day. A conflict exists in Gregor's life between his human desire to work for his own direct benefit and the economic demands that alienate him by forcing him to work for someone else. Gregor stays true to the same mindset he had even before the change. Even though Gregor wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect, his thoughts don't seem to change at all. The transformation is a sign of the collapse of Gregor's mind and his alienation. The audience does not know how the transformation occurred or why; the event occurs unexpectedly. His life should have turned upside down but... in the middle of a newspaper...... he was talking about the economic advantages they will have now that Gregor is dead. Since becoming unable to work, Gregor had appeared worthless in the eyes of his family and, in the end, he was not missed. Gregor's family loved him when he was an asset, but they despised him when he was a burden. When people lose their value as workers, they also begin to lose their value as a person as a whole. Thus, they also become a “bug” in society due to their inability to continually contribute to the world. Metaphorically speaking, that's how Gregor felt. He was dismissed at the slightest change in his work capacity. Following Marxist theory, economic and monetary principles far outweighed any emotional attachment in the Samsa family. Works Cited Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis New York, Bantam, 1986 printStraus, Nina Pelikan “Transforming Franz Kafka’s “metamorphosis.” » Signs 14.3 (1989)