Metamorphosis means a change from one thing to another. Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" deals several changes, Gregor's transformation into a giant bug being the most dramatic. His transformation is also the catalyst for change to happen around him. His family experiences changes in their mindset and lifestyle, greatly altering their situation by the end of the story. Although they are supporting characters to Gregor, the fact that the story does not end when Gregor dies suggests that it is about his family as much as him. Of the Samsa family, Gregor's sister Grete undergoes the greatest change in thoughts and behaviour.
Grete begins as a "useless daughter"(431). She is seventeen years old and her life is made up of "dressing herself nicely, sleeping long, helping with housework, going out to modest entertainments and above all playing the violin."(418) She does not work or have any particular plans for the future. She wants to go to the Conservatorium and study violin, but this is "merely a beautiful dream"(417) . Gregor plans to pay for her to attend, but she has made no attempt to get there herself.
As well as taking no responsibility for her life, Grete behaves childishly at the beginning of the story. When it is discovered that Gregor has not left for work, she whispers to him through the door, trying not to anger her father and to integrate herself with Gregor so that he will tell her what is wrong. Gregor says that they have always been "intimate,"(417) and Grete seems to be very scared for her big brother being sick or loosing his job. She already seems to take care of him a bit, asking "aren't you well? Are you needing anything?"(404)
Grete's roll as a caretaker expands quickly when Gregor's condition is discovered. Since their parents wont go near Gregor even to care for him, this is her first real responsibility. Her caring nature is demonstrated to be childishly obsessive when she tries to discover what food he likes. She carefully prepares many different types of food such as "a dry roll of bread, a buttered roll and a roll both buttered and salted."(415) she is doing her best but Gregor acknowledges that she may have taken on his care "out of childish thoughtlessness."(419)
Grete's care of Gregor quickly becomes less focused on his welfare and more focused on her own status.
To his surprise it takes him much longer to get up from his bed, and so he starts worrying and overthinking about his job as a salesman and how he is going to finish paying off his parents debt if he gets fired from his job. Gregor is now overwhelmed with thoughts that keep protruding out like how, “he thought back on his family with deep emotion and love. His conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sister’s” ( Kafka 51). The cruelty involves Gregor having to get out of bed on his own with nobody caring to help him, and, to top it off, he does not worry about being late as much as not getting to work, which could lead to him getting fired, and, therefore, he will not be able to pay off his parents’ debt. When Gregor reveals himself to his parents, his mother faints, and his father, on the other
“Love is whatever you can still betray. Betrayal can only happen if you love.” John le Carr. The novel Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka is a story about the transformation of a man named Gregor who turned into a bug. The story takes place inside an apartment and describes the struggles Gregor goes through with his life and family. Throughout the entirety of the writing he is met with different challenges and obstacles. Grete, his sister and his parents have a unique bond that is not always the strongest. Gregor has not been close with his parents for awhile, but Grete especially at the beginning was the only person who truly cared about his predicament. This conflict results in the desertion of Gregor and the downfall of the family. These negatives compound, causing the his suicide. The Metamorphosis portrays how the betrayal of Gregor and Grete by their parents, and Gregor by his sister, leads to the demise of the family.
After Gregor is transformed his mother cannot look at him and his father turns violent towards him. They don’t assume any responsibility for their son and leave the burden of caring for Gregor to their daughter Grete, who they show love and affection for. After Gregor dies, the family is happy that Grete will have a great future, a future just like Gregor had. It can be seen that she is replacing Gregor for her parents, because she is young and responsible, just like Gregor once was. It is hard to imagine the Samsa’s ever caring for Gregor, since they abandoned him in his time of
They start to think of ways to get rid of him. The sister is the most adamant about it. She once relied on him for everything, and now that she was capable of doing the same things her brother did, she felt that she didn 't need him anymore. He could be disposed of. In a way, all she wanted was money and when Gregor couldn 't offer that anymore, she became self reliant. With this newly found responsibility, came the ego that she has a say in the family matters now that she is earning money to bring to the table. With Gregor out of the way, they are relieved that they can move on with their
The relationship between Gregor and his sister Grete is perhaps the most unique. It is Grete, after all, with whom the metamorphosed Gregor has any rapport, suggesting the Kafka intended to lend at least some significance to their relationship. Grete's significance is found in her changing relationship with her brother. It is Grete's changing actions, feelings, and speech toward her brother, coupled with her accession to womanhood that seems to parallel Gregor's own metamorphosis. This change represents her metamorphosis from adolescence into adulthood but at the same time it marks the final demise of Gregor. Thus, certain symmetry is to be found in "The Metamorphosis." While Gregor falls in the midst of despair, Grete ascends to a self-sufficient, sexual
In the novella The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the author analyzes change and its repercussions in its entirety. Kafka offers a unique perspective as he follows the transformation of the main character, Gregor Samsa. The transformation from human to insect, as exemplified by Gregor, helps the reader understand Kafka's portrayal of Samsa as a character. The reaction of Gregor's family and their own transformation throughout the progression of the story also provides readers with Kafka's thoughts on change and alienation as well as other key themes. One may argue that the two most prominent transformations were that of Gregor and his sister Grete. Although Gregor's personality remains relatively consistent throughout, his physical transformation serves as the basis of the plot which strengthens its prominence. Grete goes through several changes throughout the novella as well. Grete's transformation from girl to woman holds nearly as much significance as Gregor's. Ultimately, each member of the Samsa family undergoes transformations of various degrees. Throughout the novella, the relationships between the Samsa family emphasizes the common practice of completely disregarding someone once they have changed in a way that doesn't abide by the standards society has deemed as acceptable. Through the use of Gregor Samsa as well as other characters, Kafka expresses his ideas on change and the stigma that is, at times, associated with it which can lead to alienation; each character can also serves as a metaphor by representing society and our tendency to reject people based on their flaws physically or personality-wise.
One of the major symbols in the story is the window in Gregor’s room. Gregor always seems to be looking out the window admiring the external domain. The window represents freedom in a way he feels a strong connection with the outside world despite the fact he is grounded indoors. He realizes is no longer associated with the real world. Grete, Gregor’s younger sister supports Gregor at the beginning. Grete helps out with Gregor’s complication by taking care of him. She gives him his food, cleans up after him, and she even came up with an idea to make it easier for him to move around in his room. She wanted to make Gregor feel like he is appreciated and link to the world so she moved the chair by the window so he could see more clearly.
Helmut Richter analyzed the plot of The Metamorphosis in his essay. He depicts the main plot of the story to be Gregor’s failure at his work, which leads to his death. The climax of the story starts off early in the book. When Gregor wakes up one morning, he realizes that he has turned into a giant insect. Gregor was a salesman and his job required that he was very determined in his work. Kafka proves to us that Gregor did not do a good job as a salesman by transforming into a bug: a strong work force. Kafka’s use of this metaphor stresses the poor work that Gregor does as a salesman.
Franz Kafka uses various themes throughout his work in The Metamorphosis. Two that stood out to me were the themes of alienation and social status. I feel as though Kafka uses Gregor’s transformation into a giant vermin as a metaphor to pique the reader 's interest and tell a frame narrative about society and class. Kafka uses his work to show his readers the alienation that Gregor feels in his life and the expectations his family, society and work have placed on him. The Metamorphosis shows us the effect money and material things have on people and how it ultimately caused Gregor to end his life.
Grete is a character who appears to have the most tolerance for Gregor shortly after his metamorphosis. Gregor was apparently rather fond of his sister and had hoped to finance her education in a conservatory. He was also rather mesmerized with her violin playing. His inability to follow through with these planned acts of kindness may have led to a faster deterioration of Grete’s maintenance of Gregor’s room. Although she could never get used to Gregor’s new freakish appearance, she was his sole provider throughout his life after the metamorphosis:
In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa's sudden transformation into a cockroach is appalling to all that encounter him, but none attempt to cure him of his affliction. The acceptance of his condition by Gregor and those around him highlights the underlying existentialist and absurdist perspective within the characters' attempt to come to terms with this circumstance. In the face of this dramatically absurd metamorphosis, Gregor does not blame a higher power, nor himself. As time wears on, he not only refrains from questioning his transformation but, at times lavishes in it and embraces it. His adjustment, and the adjustment of his family members, is not one of questioning his new life, but rather attempting to accept it for exactly what it is. In this way, Gregor and his family, particularly his father and sister, epitomize rationalization and freedom of choice in the face of absurdity.
They realize she’s grown into a pretty young woman and think of finding her a husband. Kafka concludes the story with Grete stretching, much like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
This title holds more weight than what meets the eye. It is more than his actual metamorphosis from human to bug. There are many transformations that take place in this novel, even more than the obvious physical change. With the physical change of Gregors body, he also goes through a psychological change with it. When he was a human, his family depended on him. He quickly ended up depending on his family as he could not do anything on his own. His morale also diminishes throughout the novel. We were introduced to him as a very hopeful man who wanted to pay off his family’s debts. In the end, he loses hope and gives up on himself for the wellbeing of his family. Along with Gregors change in the novel, the title represents the change of other characters as well. From beginning to end, Grete transforms from a girl to a young lady. She also becomes more independent on herself by taking on more responsibility and getting a job. The family also must make some changes because they do not have Gregor to support them financially. This finally forces them to all get jobs and give up some luxury things they had
Despite his situation Gregor still feels that he can go to work. However he proves unable to do this when he encounters so much trouble when trying get out of bed and open the door. Gregors manager comes to his home, wondering why he didn’t show up for work. The manager gets irritable and tells Gregor in the presence of his family that he wanted a real explanation as to why he would not come out of his room. Gregor finally has enough strength to open the door with his mouth but by that time his manager had already left. He is now saddened and in fear that he lost his job, because he knows that he is the financial “backbone” of the family. When his family finally sees that he is an insect they are immediately disgusted. His mother faints, and his father forbids his mother and daughter to see him. Grete, Gregors ...
His family used to care about him but after the transformation, they were no longer concerned for him. Every time the family talks about money, Gregor feels guilty and embarrassed because he can no longer provide for them. When he was able to work before, he had brought money home and “They had simply got used to it, both the family and Gregor; the money was gratefully accepted and gladly given, but there was no special uprush of warm feeling” (Kafka Ch 2 pg 6). Now that he can no longer provide, the family had to come up with ways to keep up with finances. Gregor is dehumanized each time his sister Grete walks into the room to look after him because she cannot bear the sight of him so he hides each time. Each day following Gregor’s transformation, the family’s behavior towards him became more cynical and resentful towards him. They do not allow him to leave his room and worry about how they can go on living with him. They think of him as being a creature, losing their view of him as a human being and no longer important. When Grete decided to take his furniture out of his room, Gregor feels he is dehumanized because they are taking away the link to his humanity. When it came to Gregor’s father, Gregor would “run before his father, stopping when he stopped and scuttling forward again when his father made any kind of move.” His father then threw at apple at him which ‘landed right on his back and sank in; Gregor wanted to drag himself forward, as if this startling, incredible pain could be left behind him” (Kafka Ch 2 pg