Societal Pressures: How Being an “Outsider” Can Lead to Death

Our perspectives are essential to shaping the way we interact with and interpret the world around us. These unique lenses contribute to diversifying human thought, combining nuance and experiences that add to the collective human life. Despite our various viewpoints, society seems to agree upon one particular lens: normalcy.  Lennard Davis, a distinguished professor at the University of Illinois, explores the concept of normalcy in his text, Constructing Normalcy. He argues that people either strive to be within the “norm”, or actively rebel against it (Davis). He explains that society associates positive attributes to those within the “average”, and negative connotations with anything that strays (Davis). Clearly, these strict ideations can potentially lead to oppressive viewpoints of those who deviate from the norm. In Franz Kafka’s novel, The Metamorphosis, Kafka illustrates the life of Gregor Samsa, an average man whose life is completely changed when overnight, he transforms from man to bug (Kafka). The unjust treatment Gregor experiences from society due to his physical conversion confirms Davis’ theory on normalcy. Kafka’s dramatized story dives into the long-lasting effects that deviating from the norm withholds, ultimately ending in Gregor’s death due to his inability to withstand the judgment from humanity.

  Lennard Davis Constructing Normalcy explores the origins of how the idea of “normal” came to be and the impact it has left on society. Davis utilizes 17th century statistics as one starting point for this outlook. Davis mentions that French statistician, Adolphe Quetelet, explained the imperative nature of having a “normal range”. Davis further asserts, “(Quetelet) noticed that the ‘law of error’, used by astronomers to locate a star by plotting all the sightings and then averaging the errors, could be equally applied to the distribution of human features such as height and weight” (Davis, 3). Quetelet’s early distinctions of how one’s body can be considered “normal” shaped society’s perception on appearance. Quetelet’s framework illustrates what the “average human” looks like based on a chart deviated from an astronomical law. This contributes to today’s framework of what makes our physical manifestation seem “normal”, and more so, better. Quetelet’s explanations were widely accepted in Europe, and were even associated with Louis Philippe’s monarchy. Davis writes, “That the middle Station of Life was calculated for all kinds of Vertues and all kinds of Enjoyments…” (3 Davis). This illustrates the purpose behind people desiring to belong to the average. Individuals who fell within the “middle-class” of this civilization were treated with pleasures and gratitude, simply because these people fell within the “norm”. Queteltet addresses deviations from the norm as “less great” than the mean, and explains they have an ugly appearance and morality (4 Davis). Queletet’s explanation of outsiders negatively labels those who do not fall within the average. Quetelet specifically refers to bell curves. The appraisal that those who are” average” receive, and disapproval of those who are not, initiates the perception of outsiders in modern society. Quetelet’s observations force people to strive to exist within the mean so that they can achieve the status of normality, and therefore, societal approval. Moreover, Davis’ lens on normalcy investigates the foundations of this concept, and how it has contributed to modern society’s perception. 

Davis’ explanation that those who within the “norm” are accepted by society while those who deviate are not can be observed in Franz Kafka’s novel, The Metamorphosis. Kafka’s fictional novel follows the life of a man named Gregor Samsa, who lives his life as a salesman when one night, his life is completely changed. Gregor wakes up one morning having been completely transformed into an insect. Despite his new physical manifestation and survival desires of a bug, his psychological mindset remains in touch with humanity, as he is capable of formulating human thoughts and emotions. However, his psychological normalcy was not enough for him to escape society’s negative perception. His abnormal appearance was the only factor accounted for, making him an outsider from his society. In fact, when Gregor attempts to go to work and reveals his new body to his family and boss, they treat him as grotesque and his mother declares he needs prayer.. Kafka writes, “‘Help, for pity’s sake, Help’ The way she held her head suggested she wanted to see Gregor better, but the unthinking way she was hurrying backwards showed that she did not” (Ch.1 Kafka). Gregor’s mother’s fear and disapproval of her son’s new body supports Davis’ argument on those who are abnormal. Gregor’s unusual appearance alters his mother’s perception of him from typical to atypical. This change forces her to regard Gregor as an outsider, simply because his physical attributes do not represent that of the norm. This coincides with Davis’ claim that those who stray for the “normal range” are viewed as being invaded with an ugliness that makes them different and sick (Davis, 6). By backing away from Gregor and declaring that he receives assistance from a divine-being, Gregor’s mother illustrates the disapproval that Davis explains society holds on those who are unique. Another instance in which Gregor’s physical appearance makes him an outsider from his society is when his sister, Grete, is serenading the family with her violin. Gregor has always been entranced by Grete’s musical abilities, and although he spends most of his days hiding in his room due to his insectual attributes, the music draws him out of his safe space. Though Gregor knows he’s risking his life when he presents himself in front of society, his desire for his sister’s music is overwhelming. This even makes Gregor question how inhumane he truly is if he’s so captivated by music (Kafka, Ch. IV). Despite his attempts to be sneaky and unnoticed by his family and the three men they are currently housing, he fails. The men are startled by him and demand that Gregor’s father refund them all of their money (Kafka, Ch. IV). This sends Gregor’s father into a fit of violent rage, where he hurls apples at Gregor, until he strikes him in the back; a blow that will be the main physical contributor to his demise (Kafka, Ch. IV). Finally, Gregor’s family decides that the best thing for their family is to kill Gregor. After overhearing this conversation, Gregor decides to allow himself to succumb to his injuries and assist his family in the decision they’ve chosen (Kafka Ch. IV). In these scenes, Gregor’s family ostracizes Gregor to the point where he can no longer bare it, and ultimately, commits suicide. Gregor’s death is solely based on the fact that he appeared different, and his society ensured that he knew that. This connects to Davis’ argument that society strives to have the majority of people fit within the norms when they know what the average is (Davis, 6). Thus, defects and outsiders will begin to disappear (Davis, 6). Gregor’s family deciding that his death will be the best decision for them reveals how these outliers are removed from society, so that the norm is the only existing possibility in the future. Furthermore, Davis’ explanation that those who are outsiders are rejected from society is supported by Kafka’s depiction of Gregor, who undergoes a physical alteration that disrupts his family’s perception of him.

Franz Kafka’s portrayal of Gregor Samsa in his novel, The Metamorphosis, confirms Lennard Davis’ argument in his text, Constructing Normalcy. Clearly, the social disapproval Gregor faces due to his abnormal physical manifestation reiterates Davis’ claim that society negatively views those who deviate from normal contexts. While Kafka’s story is a dramaticized reality, insinuating that a man can transform into a bug overnight, it still confirms Davis’ ideology that society rejects outliers. Gregor’s abnormalities alienate him from society, and ultimately, lead to him killing himself because he no longer belongs. One consideration to keep in mind while using Davis’ argument to analyze Gregor’s abnormalities is Gregor’s human psyche. Though Gregor’s body is now that of an insect, he maintains in touch with reality by upholding his human thoughts and some human desires. It makes the reader question how many aspects of an individual are needed to deviate from the norm for that individual to be perceived as an outsider. Clearly, Gregor’s physical appearance was enough for him to be ostracized, as Davis articulates throughout his text when describing human features amongst a normal bell curve (Davis, 1). Thus, it’s important to acknowledge that Gregor still obtained features that kept him in touch with his reality. Overall, Kafka’s portrayal of Gregor supports Davis’ argument that those who differentiate from societal norms are deemed different, and excluded as outsiders.

Lennard Davis’ text, Constructing Normalcy, illustrates the concept of “normality” according to societal rules. Davis examines the origins of normalcy, introducing the work of ancient statisticians and civilizations to prove his argument that society praises those who fall within the average, and neglects those who deviate. This lens applies to Franz Kafka’s novel, The Metamorphosis, in which Kafka details the strange “metamorphosis” a man named Gregor experiences when he is transformed into a bug. Gregor’s new appearance makes him ostracized from his society, simply because his body is abnormal. Gregor’s rejection and isolation from society supports Davis’ argument, as it reveals how those who are different are alienated from their societies. This lens and target remind us to be cautious when handling individuals who may appear as “outliers”. It’s crucial to remember that societal norms are not proper classifications for everyone, and that unique perspectives are crucial to having a nuanced understanding of the human experience. 

Works Cited

Davis, Lennard J. Constructing Normalcy. Psychology Press, 2006. De Gruyter.

Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. Penguin Classics, 2016.