The Awakening And The Metamorphosis: Literary Analysis

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The stories of both “The Awakening” and “The Metamorphosis” interlock at more than a single point theme-wise, and thus when this happens usually it’s on a personal level. In such a case the main characters in both stories face similar identity crises, they both attempt to search for freedom in their own respect. Such as Edna with her appeal toward a less lavish lifestyle in exchange for a normal woman’s fantasy. Or Gregor in his struggle to be free from his duty to his family, and whilst both would seem to be, in their own respect, “normal” they have a tinge of irony in the sense that it was all for naught. We are introduced to Gregor’s background through a series of rushing thoughts, in which he accounts that his parents are indebted to his…show more content…
He concludes that he is recognized as a burden by his family which is evident on all occasions that Gregor spends time with his family such as when Gregor leaves his room, his father responds...rather brutally in Chapter 1 Paragraph 25 “With a hostile expression his father clenched his fist, as if to drive Gregor back into his room...”, and thus Mr. Samsa does not show a hint of concern for his son’s condition, rather he shows no empathy or patience. He attempts to use his family duty as an excuse, or rather a façade raison d’etre, because that is what he believes drives him. His façade is then broken near the end of the story, and he realizes that he has no identity, and finding it would be nigh impossible. He is simply like a bug, keeping the family from being happy with his monstrous appearance (when really I believe that his aesthetic appearance is only an appeal to how he changed over time, he initially set out with his human ideal of freedom, he loved his family and worked because he loved them and wanted the best for them, however he slowly lost sight of this, and thus his metamorphosis begun). He then realizes that not all is lost when he witnesses his sister playing, he then concludes that he has gone in too deep and hurt his family too much, and decides to stop eating the food his sister slides into the room for him. He then starves, so that the family he loves will continue on, after he passes, to be
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