There are many classifications on whether a human being is healthy or not. There are also many branches of health, such as physical, mental, and environmental health. Health can be altered by the environment that a person lives within and the people he or she encounters. A person’s well-being can deteriorate not only from disease, but also from abuse and neglect. According to Kaiser Permanente, the definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (Kaiser Permanente, 2011). Based on this definition, Gregor Samsa’s transformation in the novella The Metamorphosis is not healthy due to the neglect that he endures from his family and the changes …show more content…
His voice is altered into a squeaky, unclear tone from his transformation, which makes it difficult to communicate with his family members of his well-being. Gregor also has less mobility due to his alteration and his injury from his father. He remains inside his bedroom during most of the duration of the story, remaining quarantined in a small space with a few exceptions of leaving his bedroom. Gregor also becomes physically hurt by his father. Due to a misunderstanding, Gregor’s father believes that Gregor had hurt his mother. He comes infuriated and begins throwing red apples at Gregor, which one apple becomes lodged into Gregor’s back and later becomes enflamed. His father does not halt his physical abuse. He later attacks Gregor for escaping his bedroom. Other than the physical abuse that he endures; Gregor begins to eat less and less throughout the course of his transformation. Grete, his younger sister, notices that Gregor has loss an incredible amount of weight and has become notably skinny (Kafka, 1986). The mistreatments that he endures are evident examples of abuse. According to Social Care Institute for Excellence and Oregon.gov, Gregor has experienced clear signs of physical abuse, such as “assault and battery” and “cuts, lacerations, punctures, and wounds.” His condition and well-being could have been improved if another family member, such as his mother, had reported …show more content…
According to Elder Abuse & Neglect, some signs of emotional abuse that elderly patients undergo from health workers are yelling, ignoring, and isolating. Gregor experienced the same emotional abuse from Grete and his father, such as isolation within Gregor’s bedroom, yelling when he left his bedroom, and ignoring his needs. One notable indicator of elderly abuse is “failure to provide proper health care” (Bratteli 8). This is a distinguished sign of abuse for Gregor. For example, when his father lodged an apple into Gregor’s back, his family members did not attempt to remove it. According to Kakfa’s The Metamorphosis, it is noted that Gregor “suffered it there for more than a month” and that “it remained there as a visible reminder of his injury” (Kafka, 1986). Due to this injury, Gregor had a difficult time moving himself across his bedroom. Such forms of neglect caused his psychological and physical health to diminish, which ultimately lead to his death. Gregor’s health was not as how Kaiser Permanente had defined it, which is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. It is evident that Gregor’s physical health was impaired by his father’s abuse and his disabilities due to his transformation. His mental health diminished over time due his to his sister and those who lived
Gregor Samsa’s mother, whose name is never revealed, is a physically and constitutionally weak woman. She cares dearly for Gregor which is first shown by her distress as Gregor does not wake up at his usual time. It is evident that Gregor’s mother has the hardest time coping with his transformation. She can not bear to lay eyes upon Gregor. Though she has trouble adjusting, she doesn’t stop loving her only son. As Gregor’s mother and sister begin to move furniture out of his room, his mother stops to contemplate whether this is the right course of action. As Sheldon Goldfarb states in his critical essay, “When his mother and sister start removing his furniture, his mother's second thoughts provoke him to resist: he does not want to give up his human past and the possibility of returning to it” (Goldfarb). On the outside, Gregor’s mother reacts with repulsion at the sight of the bug, but on the inside still cares deeply about her son underneath. Gregor is able to see this and it gives him new hope.
Relying on Gregor to support their lifestyle for years, Gregor’s mother, father and sister, Grete, no longer have any use for him once he is transformed into a bug. The transformation is more of an inconvenience to them than a tragedy. Now, the must go out and get jobs, and instead of Gregor taking care of them, they now are responsible for taking care of Gregor. Grete uses her brothers new outer casing as a way to gain respect and power in the family by becoming his caregiver (1093).Grete continues to gain power in the family, as Gregor begins to descend to the bottom of the family hierarchy. His entire family is disgusted by his new form and terrified of his next move. They resent Gregor and consider him to be a burden, taking care of him slowly begins to ruin their lives. Gregor’s family only seem to care about themselves and ignore the blatant issues that Gregor must be going through
...re losing hope on Gregor’s existence as a human. As the furniture is being removed by his mother and Grete, he clings on to a photo so that they couldn’t take it away. Despite his efforts to protect his feelings of a human, his mother was faints from the sight of the disgusting creature and was rewarded by a beating from the father. Once perceived as the breadwinner of the family, his family doesn’t even see him as human, but simply a bug that lives in a room. Imprisoned in a cage of isolation and denial, Gregor’s perception begins to change because of this and questions his existence and role in the family. In effect, it causes him to lose his appetite and a loss of sleep. Not only does his body deteriorates, his perception of himself follows as well.
First and foremost Gregor was betrayed by his own parents who failed to care for him after his transformation. The initial reaction of the parents, especially his father, set the tone for the whole novel. Instead of trying to resolve the issue with a reasonable solution, his father physically abuses him, “when from behind, his father gave him a hard
Rudnick, J. D., & Teaster, P. B. (2013). Elder abuse and neglect: A survey of clergy awareness, knowledge, and intervention preferences. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 25(4), 323-338.
UCD and HSE (2012) 'Older People's Experiences of Mistreatment and Abuse' [online], available: http://www.ncpop.ie/userfiles/file/ncpop%20reports/Older%20People's%20Experience%20of%20Mistreatment%20and%20Abuse%20Final%20Version.pdf [accessed 24 April 2014].
There are currently two important pieces of legislation that address elder abuse issues. The Older Americans Act must submit to a reauthorization process every five years. Throughout the years there have been many adaptations to the act. Presently, there are four sections that apply to elder abuse primarily in the form of research processes, grant eligibili...
Elderly adults face an abundant amount of abuse in many healthcare settings. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), elder abuse is defined as, “intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or “trusted” individual that lead to, or may lead to, harm of a vulnerable elder” (NCEA, 2017, p. 2). Elder abuse can possess many forms, including physical abuse, neglect, emotional or psychological abuse, financial abuse or exploitation, sexual abuse, and abandonment. (NCEA, 2017, p. 2). This abuse can take place in many settings that house seniors, age 65 years old and up regardless of age, sex, or race. These senior care facilities can include, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and/or senior day care
The second case of elder abuse is neglect, when caregivers lack the knowledge to properly care over someone. Adult Protection Services (APS) are often called to investigate and to ensure that self-care services are provided for the elders. In one of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services cases of elder abuse and neglect, family members caring for an elder woman were apparently unaware that they were abusing the elder. The family members did not realize that the women were in poor health that led a neighbor to suspect physical abuse. The neighbor contacted APS to investigate. The APS reported that the elder woman...
To his surprise it takes him much longer to get up from his bed, and so he starts worrying and overthinking about his job as a salesman and how he is going to finish paying off his parents debt if he gets fired from his job. Gregor is now overwhelmed with thoughts that keep protruding out like how, “he thought back on his family with deep emotion and love. His conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sister’s” ( Kafka 51). The cruelty involves Gregor having to get out of bed on his own with nobody caring to help him, and, to top it off, he does not worry about being late as much as not getting to work, which could lead to him getting fired, and, therefore, he will not be able to pay off his parents’ debt. When Gregor reveals himself to his parents, his mother faints, and his father, on the other
Gregor showed multiple symptoms of mental illnesses throughout the novella. His family was ashamed of him, and did not want to deal with a mentally disturbed son, which only worsened his condition. If his family had not been cruel to him, he could have potentially recovered rather than committing
Gregor loses the love of his family. Although Grete still cares for him it is hard for him. His father would beat him with a cane and throw food at him. As Kafka wrote “ It was an apple; then another one immediately flew at him;Gregor froze in shock; there was no longer any point of running as his father had decided to bombard him”. Gregor doesn’t even feel safe living in his house anymore. He stops eating, and gets exhausted from trying to fight back. The maid finds Gregor in his room dead, which I think he got tired of fighting back. Gregor’s family is out of debt, his mom works, and his dad now relies on
Sadly, Gregor's family treats him like the beast that he truly has become. Seeing the damages as irreparable, they strip him of his worldly possessions and leave him in a "naked den fit for a beast." The struggle that he puts forth when his furniture is taken is symbolic of his struggle to return to human form.
Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis". The Metamorphosis. Trans. Donna Freed and Ed. George Stade. New York: Barnes and Nobles, 2003.
Abuse and Neglect." Journal of Marriage and Family 44.2 (1982): 267-76. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.