One of the most moving and disturbing scenes in the book comes when Gregor crawls onto the wall on top of a photograph that he’s determined to keep. He’s left with his memories and his few possessions until the family comes to take those as well.

Grete feeds him for a time, but even she backs off and turns on him. He tries hard, despite how he’s treated by his family members, to hang on to his humanity. The harder transformation is occurring within him. It takes Gregor some time to get used to his new body, but eventually, he comes to enjoy crawling on the wall and ceiling and hiding in dark places as a large cockroach would. The mystery of how Gregor became an insect is never answered, nor does anyone address it as anything more than a very inconvenient turn of events. There are so many unknowns in The Metamorphosis. A reader’s emotional investment might end up with a different character.

I found myself imagining how the affective qualities of the novel would’ve been different had the story been told from Grete’s perspective, or even Mr. This speaks to Kafka’s skill as a writer, particularly his ability to build a difficult character in a very challenging situation. Because we learn about his new life at the same time he does, confront the same obstacles and emotions, it is easier to understand him. The story is told from Gregor’s perspective and therefore a reader should empathize with him to the greatest extent.

They screamed in fright and disgust and Gregor sadly scampered back into the room. I found myself hoping that they’d somehow share his practical approach to the situation and find empathy for the poor man. When Gregor’s condition becomes clear to his family, their reaction is what a reader is probably expecting. Gregor’s responsibility to his family, and responsibility in general, is one of the most important themes of this piece. His family is far from wealthy and most of the money he makes goes to paying off his father’s debts. He is a traveling salesman, a job with people, and hours that he hates. As the story progresses and from Gregor’s perspective the reader learns more about his life, his dedication to his family is emphasized. His family, in all things, comes first for Gregor. This is a feature rather than a bug of his personality. Rather than screaming or questioning his own sanity, Gregor’s first concern is his family. The story catches a reader’s attention through the direct way that this transformation is introduced and the surprising nature of Gregor’s reaction to it. The short novel tells the tragic and disturbing story of Gregor Samsa who wakes up one day to discover he’s been transformed into a gigantic insect/vermin.

Metamorphosis book