Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

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When Franz Kafka first penned his short novel The Metamorphosis in 1915, he had no idea how much of an impact the book would have. The novel rotates around the life of a man named Gregor Samsa, who suddenly wakes up as an insect on a routine day. As the story progresses, the reader can see how Gregor’s physical transformation triggers different emotions among the Samsa family. The situation is far from ideal, and because of this sudden transfiguration, each person in the family changes dramatically. While Gregor went through a horrid physical transformation, he may not have been the only family member who went through a metamorphosis. While Gregor’s mother and father both changed characteristics throughout the book, Gregor’s sister specifically…show more content…
In the beginning of the book, the commiseration towards her brother presents the fact that Grete was very close with her brother before the transformation occurred. She is considerate, thoughtful, and tries to help in any way possible. Grete became Gregor’s caretaker, as she would be Gregor’s only real human contact in the story, acting as Gregor’s only strong emotional tie to his family—and indeed to the rest of humanity. “[His sister] came in on tiptoe, as if she were visiting someone seriously ill or perhaps even a stranger” (2.7), is showing how magnanimous his sister once was. However, later in the novel, Grete’s personality and qualities change greatly. It is clear that Grete has transformed from a helpless little girl into a steadfast young woman, proving that she went through the most potent…show more content…
Now that Gregor has become physically different than before, Grete’s pity towards her sibling diminishes. What once was a voluntary act of kindness is now a dreaded chore. Grete even says; “"If it were Gregor, he would have realized long ago that it isn't possible for human beings to live with such a creature, and he would have gone away of his own free will… we'd be able to go on living and honor his memory. But as things are, this animal persecutes us, drives the roomers away, obviously wants to occupy the whole apartment and for us to sleep in the gutter" (3.25). Grete now has hatred for her brother, symbolizing the disconnection to Gregor’s last chance with society and life. This proves that without Grete, Gregor would be useless as a bug and as a human. The bond between the two, was what kept Gregor’s life enjoyable and meaningful, given the parents do not contribute a great amount to the family’s well-being. As a result, the transformation that Grete goes through to become a nefarious commander shows that Grete evolved more than any other person in the Samsa
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