The Family in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

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The Family in Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, is about a young man, Gregor Samsa,

who is transformed overnight into a bug. He soon becomes a disgrace to

his family. After his metamorphosis, his family goes through an even

bigger metamorphosis than Gregor, himself. Therefore, the real metamorphosis

occurs to the family rather than Gregor.

One of the family members

who goes through significant metamorphosis is Gregor's sister, Grete.

She maybe the person that he cared the most about. After he turned into

a bug, her love and care gave him a reason to live, but when she stopped

caring it killed him. Grete turned from this loving, caring, and warm

person into this dark, uncaring, and selfish person.

After Gregor turns into a bug, Grete seems like the only one who cares

about her brother, even in the body of a giant bug She keeps his room

clean and brings him things to eat twice a day. She worries about what

he might like to eat "But, he would of never been able to guess what

his sister, in the goodness of her heart, actually did. To find out his

likes and dislikes, she brought him an assortment of foods"(24). . Her

kindness, even when she is afraid of his appearance, touches Gregor deeply.

She gives him a reason to live. She is the only human that he has contact

with. So, he doesn't feel as much alienated as he already is. This

shows that after Gregor turned into a bug, she still cared about him.

Her warmth gave him a reason to live. But, this would not last for long

much longer.

As the time passed, Grete practically stops caring about her brother.

She starts to treat him differently. "No longer considering what she

can do to give Gregor a special treat, his sister, before running to

business every morning and afternoon, hurriedly shoved any old food into

Gregor's room with her foot" (43). Grete is not thinking about Gregor

like; this makes her uncaring. Shoving things with her foot is an example

of her showing him that he is a bug because bugs are usually stomped

on with feet. Grete gets a job to help pay for expenses, she no longer

wants takes care Gregor makes her selfish.

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