The story of The Metamorphosis is one that
is very subtle and very delicate. Kafka wrote in a fashion that would allow
a reader to interpret the story in a way that may be different each time it is
read. From the beginning, we see that a young, hard working, man,
Gregor, has turned intoa bug, and as the story continues, one can see
that he was much more than an insect. What else could he be? Even
after his death, it is obvious that Gregor was there for a cause. His family
depended on him for their happiness. The purpose for his existence was
to serve his family. Hismother and father created him and were the
driving force behind his physical change. There was a lack of
communication that existed throughout the story that revealed how
unappreciated they were of Gregor and his sister, who was on her way
towards becoming like her brother. Gregor was very important to the
family's welfare. At first he was the only working member of the family,
and his job was very important; the whole future of Gregor and his family
depended on it (p.84). For so long he wanted to quit his work, because
he wasn't happy with it. But he said to himself, " Besides, I have to
provide for my parents and my sister. (pp.82-83)." He felt that his family
was too dependent of him. When Gregor wouldnt let anyone in his room
in fear that they would be horrified by his condition, he thought that his
family was harassing him because he was in danger of losing his job, and
because the chief would begin harassing hisparents again for the old
debts" (p. 76). At this point, everyone was angry and wanted him to get
up for work. All that mattered to the family was what Gregor was
able to provide. After his secret of change to an insect was discovered,
they realized that he was no longer of any use to the family, and he was
unappreciated in every way. He didn't have his job and no longer had
anything to offer. "The house soon started to fall apart; the household
was reduced more and more "(p. 113). Gregor was now a problem for he
had no function in the family. They locked him up, imprisoning him by not
allowing him out of his room. Slowly, his possessions were removed, and
for some time no one bothered to clean his room, the cleaning of his
room could not have been more hastilydone. "Streaks of dirt stretched
along the walls, here and there lay balls of dust and filth." (pp. 114-115).
Anything that was not needed for the moment was simply thrown into
Gregors room. They couldn't see beyond the obvious. To them he was
only a bug and not Gregor. For this reason, they simply did not show him
the respect that he deserved. Understanding Gregor was something
that his parents failed to do. Even before his metamorphosis, there was a
communication problem within the family. When Gregor first speaks to
answer his mother, he didn't recognize his own voice. Kafka explains:
"Gregor had a shock as he heard his own voice answering hers,
unmistakably his own voice, it was true, but with a persistent horrible
twittering squeak behind it like an undertone, that left the words in their
clear shape only for the first moment and then rose up reverberating
round them to destroy their sense, so that one could not be sure one had
heard them rightly" (p. 70). As awful as he sounded,his mother did not
recognize the difference in his voice, suggesting that they didn't speak
often. Nothing changed after his metamorphosis, however, and the family
continued to misunderstand Gregor. They failed to realize that, even as a
bug, Gregor was still there and that he could understand everything they
had to say. Many times he tried to show his loyalty, "but the more humbly
he bent his head his father only stamped on the floor the more loudly
(p.86)." His sister, whom Gregor trusted most, even tried to convince his
parents that Gregor is no longer with them. "My dear parents, she said,
things cant go on like this. I wont utter my brothers same in the presence
of this creature, and so all I say is: we must try to get rid of it (p. 124)."
Gregor was not to be accepted for who he was. After some time, his
family still hadn't got used to him. "He realized how repulsive the sight of
him still was to her, and that it was bound to go on being repulsive (p.
99)." Gregor's condition resulted from the abuse that he took from his
family, and he was much more wise because of it. He had gotten used to
his change and actually enjoyed being a bug. " He especially liked
hanging from the ceiling" (p. 100). And all the talk of him made him think
more.He came to the conclusion that he was better off as a bug and did
not want things to go back to the way they were. He was often haunted
by the idea that the next time the door opened "he would take the family's
affairs in hand again just as he used to do" (p. 114). He thought more
logically as a bug and was tired of everyone depending on him.
Gregor was not the only person affected in this story. His parents started
to abuse his sister in the same way. Their son's unemployment forced
her to get a job. She was then helping to support the family as Gregor
once did. After he died, her mother and father both noticed something at
almost the same time. They saw how grown up she had become and
that it was time for her to find a husband and, in a way, marry another
Gregor. He was the hindrance of the family's happiness, even after he
died. "With the new jobs they had found, Gregor's death was likely to
lead to better things later on (p. 132)," because they no longer deal with
the problem of keeping him and hiding him from strangers. Each time
the subject of Gregor came up, they would mention how useless he was.
He was only good when he could provide for the family and so was never
really appreciated for who he was. The fact that they didn't communicate
well before Gregor's metamorphosis made it even harder to find him
behind the mask of a giant insect in which they had created. Hissister
was making a change of her own also. Early in his metamorphosis
"Gregor would stretch his legs and try to get comfortable" (p. 71). The
same stretch is duplicated by his sister when she, too, sprang to her feet
and stretched her body. She would be going through a similar change.
Theparents were the reason why the both of them turned out the way
they did. Their total interest towards living a comfortable life made them
unable to see what was happening with Gregor. Despite all his effort,
they failed to realize that part of that insect that they had treated so
cruelly was actually their son.
. however, and the family
continued to misunderstand Gregor. They failed to realize that, even as a
bug, Gregor was still there and that he could understand everything. mother and father both noticed something at
almost the same time. They saw how grown up she had become and
that it was time for her to find a husband and,