Essay on Gregor as Catalyst for Metamorphosis

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Gregor as Catalyst for Metamorphosis of the Family

In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Gregor is not the only presence that undergoes a complete transformation. Sometimes a change in one area of life will give way to changes in other areas, but the ensuing changes would not have come about without the first change that set things in motion. This is the case with Gregor and his family. Gregor’s family was in dire need of change, and Gregor’s condition became a powerful catalyst for that change. Gregor’s metamorphosis facilitates the change of his entire family, proving that oftentimes an outside source is needed to pull people out of a rut and get them on their feet again.

Before Gregor turned into a giant bug, his entire family relied heavily on him in more ways than one. After his father’s business failed, Gregor became the main breadwinner of the household. He got a steady job and the entire family was happy, because a steady job accompanies steady income and a steady supply of food, as well. Over time, "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" (95). Each member of the family becomes accustomed to an easy life in which needs and wants are provided for. This routine causes the individuals in the family to stagnate and live unproductively.

The family begins to follow a path of exis...

... middle of paper ...

...ometimes it is only through the changes of another, in this case Gregor, that people themselves begin to transform. The sacrifice of Gregor allows his family to leave its protective cove and journey out into the world, discovering what life has to offer.

Works Cited

Eggenschwiler, David. "'The Metamorphosis', Freud, and the Chains of Odysseus". Franz Kafka: Modern Critical Views. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 199-219.

Emrich, Wilhelm. Franz Kafka: A Critical Study of His Writings. New York: Ungar, 1968.

Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. Trans. A.L. Lloyd. New York: Vanguard Press, Inc., 1946.

Pawel, Ernst. The Nightmare of Reason. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.

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