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Gregor's Transformation In The Metamorphosis

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Gregors' transformation has made him free in the sense that he does not have to provide for his family anymore, whereas now he is not able to leave his room, physically holding him captive. Since Gregor’s transformation has restricted him from any physical labor, he no longer has to carry the responsibility of paying “off the parents’ debt… [which] should take another five or six years” (138) to completely pay off.
“At the office I fulfill my obligations outwardly, but not my inner ones, and every unfulfilled inner obligation turns into a misfortune which does not find its way out of me”. Kafka explores his personal battle between doing what he must to survive in the world and doing what he must for himself. With pressure from his family, he spends his time in the office at work earning a living, but his heart still draws him to what he enjoys doing for himself, which is writing. Kafka’s personal experience in working for the self or for the economy is drawn throughout Gregor Samsa’s life in The Metamorphosis. Gregor is faced with working an unpleasant job that leaves no time for him. The pressure of time and intense monetary ambition of the economy-driven world drives Gregor to feel alienated from himself, as well as his family, through …show more content…

In the image, the woman is elegantly draped in fur apparel. Literally, it is the material of her clothing, but it figuratively represents an animal. Gregor can emotionally relate to this underlying symbolism because he is given the same treatment and respect from his family that is given to an animal, due to his metamorphosis, which has placed him into a similar state. The missing portion of the woman’s arm is also noted, illustrating something missing in Gregor’s life, reflecting his relationship with his family. They no longer consider him to be of importance since his ability to support them financially vanished, comparable to the woman’s arm in the

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