Slowly, he is rejected by his family who he adores, showing us just how important he was within the family unit. The family take Gregor for granted. “I have responsibilities for my parents and my sister”(101), Gregor is the sole provider for the family; being the only one to uphold a job. Without him, they would not be able to afford simple necessities. His family as a result, become lethargic; weak and
Throughout the novella, Franz Kafka repeatedly writes about the concern for money in the Samsa family. Money is constantly on the top of Gregor’s mind and is a common topic of discussion in the Samsa family. Gregor took a job as a salesman; from there on, money became the focal point of his life. However, after his transformation, he can no longer provide income for his family, which causes them to separate from him. He also obstructs his family from making money when he sneaks into the boarders’ room.
The narrator said, “During the first fortnight, Gregor’s parents could not bring themselves to enter his room…” He has been disconnected from his family to the point where they’re emotionally unstable and unable to treat him as he deserves with affection and comfort to help him cope with his metamorphosis. The narrator shows this disconnection before the mutation,”Gregor later earned so much money that he was in a position to cover the expenses for the entire family…” He later described the exchange not “particularly warm”. Gregor feels alienated by his parents because of the lack of affection for him providing for them. This change has long since happened but is in full affect more than ever since the transmutation. Overall Gregor has changed both physically and emotionally.
The Repercussions of Cruelty Cruel actions lead to cruel endings. Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis, is turned into a bug from the mental and emotional abuse by the hands of his own family. The cruelty in the Samsa household is apparent from the beginning of the storyline. Their neglect and lack of compassion for Gregor's condition immediately sets the dark and miserable mood of the novella. Gregor’s whole existence has been about caring for his family and making sacrifices for their well being.
Gregor Samsa’s transition from human to vermin was not the only shift that happened through the duration of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The novel is centered around Gregor who wakes up as a vermin, presumably a cockroach, which catalyses a series of emotionally traumatic experiences for him and his family, culminating in Gregor’s death. Yet the most significant change is, in fact, the gender role reversal seen both with Gregor and Grete, his sister, as Gregor becomes more effeminate and Grete becomes more emasculate, directly correlating with their societal and emotional transformation due to Gregor's physical change. From the moment, Gregor wakes up he has transformed. But not just as a vermin.
The Transformation of Grete in Frank Kafka’s novella, Metamorphosis In the novella, Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka elaborates on the protagonist, Gregor, physical transformation. In Kafka’s novella, Gregor’s unexplained transformation into some monstrous vermin affects his whole family, Grete. Grete is Gregor’s sister and a dynamic character in Kafka’s novella. This change leaves the family in turmoil, but also paves a way for Grete’s own transformation in the novella. The pressure of an unexpected transformation forces people to change their lives accordingly.
Despite his negative attitude towards his job, Gregor continues to work. Gregor thinks to himself, “Oh God, what a strenuous occupation I’ve chosen! Always on the road, day out, day in. The rigors of the job are much greater than if i were working locally, and furthermore, the nuisances of traveling are always imposed upon me-the worries about train connections, bad meals at irregular intervals, fleeting human contact that is ever-changing, never lasting, and never expected to be genuine. To the devil with it all!” (Kafka 14).
Gregor in a sense is treated like a tenant in his own home; his parents never enter his room, only reminding him of waking, eating and leaving. This emphasizes the strained relationship between Gregor and his family. However, after his metamorphosis his family treats him more so like a burden, for Gregor no longer provides
This takes place even before Gregor becomes a cockroach, he is taken advantage of and works tirelessly. Gregor’s work situation is described in the following quote: “ He was a tool of the boss, without brains or backbone.” The quotes emphasized the dehumanization that his work place makes him feel; he is not seen as alive, but rather as a tool. The way that Gregor’s workplace dehumanizes him is even more extreme after he has transformed into a cockroach. Gregor’s work isolates him from himself because he is a slave of his job. He is not allowed to pursue his interests, have free time, or take action in his own life.
Positive change can improve one’s attitude. In the story “Metamorphosis” Gregor devotes his life to a job that he hates. Since the beginning of his career, he was in “contact with different people all the time.” He states that, “you can never get to know anyone or become friendly.” The career Gregor pursued never allowed him to make “friends.” This is the reason he isolated himself from his family. Gregor is forced to work in an environment he hates but his transformation overlooks that. He doesn’t have to suffer from his occupation and allows him to spend more time with his family.