Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, is a novella about a salesman named Gregor Samsa. One day he turns into a beetle-like-bug. From this point on the story is mainly about how Gregor and his family handles the fact that he is now a bug. Throughout this story I felt mainly disturbed and sad for Gregor. This reaction was mainly because of how Gregor was treated by his family, and by his dedication to his family. I also enjoyed seeing the strong changes within all of the characters of the story.
When I first began this story, I did not know what to expect. Before I even began reading, I looked up the definition of metamorphosis. Once I did that, I quickly assumed that this story would be about an immense change withinsomeone’s life. However, I did not expect the main character to literally change into a bug. Although I did not expect him to change into a bug, I do think that the use of physical change was a very interesting way to show inward change within all of the characters of the story. The most shocking and apparent change that I noticed was the change in his family. At the beginning of the story his family seems to care for Gregor, for example, “Yet what she actually did next, in the goodness of her heart, he could never have guessed at. To find out what he liked she brought him a whole selection of food, all set out on an old newspaper.” (pg. 479) At this point, even though he is a bug, the sister cares for him enough to try and help him by finding what type of food he now likes. Though after a while of Gregor being a bug, the family abandons him and act as though he is a nuisance. An example of this is, “His sister no longer took thought to bring him what might especially please him, but in the morning and at noon before she went to business hurriedly pushed in his room with her foot any food that was available, and in the evening cleared is out again with one sweep of the broom.” (pg. 491) The sister now seems to not care about Gregor, after he has been a bug for a while.
The way the Gregor’s family treated him after he became a bug was very disturbing and sad. His family locked him in his room once he became a bug. They seemed to do this because they were scared of him and disgusted by him. Not only do they lock him in his room but when he does come out to listen to his sister play violin, they have very extreme reactions. The sister ends up wanting to get rid of him, “‘We must try to get rid of it,’ his sister now said explicitly to her father,” (pg. 496) This line hit me on so many levels. The fact that his own sister calls him an “it” is sad within itself. But then for her to want to get rid of her own brother is also awful and disturbing.
The most depressing aspect of this story though, is although Gregor’s family treat him poorly, he still loves them throughout the entire story. It seemed as though every action that Gregor does is for his family. An example for this towards the beginning of the story is, “which all led to the same conclusion, that he must lie low for the present and, by exercising patience, and the utmost consideration, help the family to bear the inconvenience he was bound to cause them in his present condition.” (pg. 479) Instead of worrying about himself, all he seems to care about is how him being a bug might affect his family. Although his family begins to treat him terribly, he never loses this trait, “He thought of his family with tenderness and love.” (pg. 497) This quote occurs right after his sister says she wants to get rid of him. Even though his family is disgusted by him and seem to hate him, he still truly loves him.
Altogether this story is very tragic, and almost hard to read because of that. The treatment Gregor endures, and the love he gives in return are truly remarkable, and depressing. But the change in the characters, particularly in the family is portrayed in such a way that made me not want to set down the book while reading.
