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Grete's Metamorphosis: Chapter Analysis

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1. Before Gregor’s metamorphosis his family treats with moderate respect, for they make sure he is always following his schedule and is never late for work. Gregor before his metamorphosis is seen as an asset to his family, for he provides another source of income for them, a better opportunity to life comfortably. However, along with this sense of comfort his family also treats him rather distant from a son, and a brother. 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 …show more content…

In beginning of the novel Grete is submissive younger sister, who listens to her parents and does not voice her opinions. Upon finding out about Gregor’s metamorphosis she originally is reduced to tears, for her family has keep her sheltered from society, thus Grete was just an innocent young girl. However as the chapter progresses Grete turns into the only person in the family who is willing to tolerate Gregor in his insect form, Grete grows assertive protecting Gregor and continuing to treat him as her brother. As Grete continues to care for Gregor their parents begin to see Grete as a proper independent and competent woman; however, once Grete is required to work as a shop girl while also maintaining her studies her patience and fortitude begin to dwindle. Grete finally cracks when Gregor ruins her violin concert by showing the tenants his true roach form. After this incident occurs Grete no longer can tolerate Gregor, she denounces him as her brother. The climax of Grete’s character development occurs when she strongly declares that Gregor should be disposed of like the true pest he is. In the beginning of the novel Grete is living in a fantasy world, where she thinks she can care for Gregor and maintain a comfortable lifestyle; however, as Gregor becomes more of a burden Grete begins to hate him to the point where her whole attitude changes on the situation, leading to the death of

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Gregor’s initial reaction to his transformation shows his preoccupation with work. His confusion over his radical transformation does not last long, quickly becoming concerned with work and disregarding that he woke up physically transformed into a monstrous vermin. Immediately after realizing he had transformed, Gregor explains, “Well, I haven’t given up hope completely; once I’ve gotten the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to [the boss] that will probably take another five to six years… But for the time being I’d better get up, since my train leaves at five” (4). The quick transition of Gregor’s thoughts from the initial shock to his economic duties reveals his ironic nonchalant attitude towards his nonsensical transformation and

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He is willing to take on anyone in order to support his family, which plays into the theme of family duty. Also, Gregor’s determination and military experience (pg 12) is displayed in his plan making and strategizing to capture his manager. The loyalty to his family, displayed by working and trying his best to keep a job he doesn’t want, gives insight into Gregor’s character. The unhealthy relationship Gregor has with his family is very common for a character in Franz Kafka’s book. His own tumultuous relation reflected onto his characters lives.

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1. Almost from the very beginning of Gregor’s metamorphosis, Mr. Samsa has been unwilling to accept Gregor as his son. Furthermore, Gregor’s transformation into an offensive form of an insect, constantly reminds Mr. Samsa of the grotesque, feeble, and pathetic aberration that he has fathered. Consequently, now that Gregor has genuinely revealed himself in all his audacious behavior, his cruel father is driven to destroy him. In his eyes, Gregor has become everything loathsome to him—scrawny, parasitic, and futile—not the kind of son this once successful and ambitious storekeeper could be proud of.

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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.

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She goes from being a girl into becoming a woman. This occurs while her pity for Gregor fades away because caring fro him as become a duty for her. Grete takes on many responsibilities as she matures. Such as, getting a job to help the family. As her care for Gregor also fades away, she soon decides that the Samsa’s must get rid of Gregor.

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In The Metamorphosis Gregor is affected in many ways by his transition into a cockroach, and in the end, all of the effects total up to changing who Gregor was. One of the first changes that we see after Gregor 's transformation is the rejection of him by his family members. Another change that we see throughout the story is society rejecting him. A final change that we encounter is the rejection of himself. Gregor was defined by what he thought of himself, and when everyone started to tell him what he was, his thoughts about himself changed.

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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. However, this change only had a positive affect temporarily.

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Gregor began to resent his father for throwing household items at him, squashing him like a bug. Even his beloved sister Grete began irritating Gregor by removing all of his belonging from his room, leaving him with nothing. The cruelty performed on Gregor by his own family sends him into a dark pit of despair. With nothing to live for he began to slowly end his life, making one final sacrifice for the ones he loves

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While Gregor begins are the all mighty, male provider, he regresses into an effeminate state as he no longer can perform his tasks for work. As his transformation into a vermin worsens, he no longer can perform any action and further conforms to the true identity of a bug. Grete, on the other hand, picks up the male provider role that Gregor could no longer perform, but then, as she becomes tired with the work and as Gregor identifies with an “it”, goes back to her female role. Gregor's physical change forces him to degenerate to death, but allows Grete to thrive, growing into a

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Since Gregor is a bug his appearance seems to affect his family because Even After one month of being a bug Grete Gregor’s sister still seems to find Gregor’s appearance still intolerable and she runs away as soon as she sees him. “From this he realized that his appearance was still constantly intolerable to her” (61) because of this Gregor decides to hide away in order to not bother his sister it say that “In order to spare her even this sight one day he dragged the sheet on his back onto the couch (this task took him four hours)” (61). Even after a month of Gregor living with his family as a bug his family still considers him unappealing and can’t really look at him or interact with him and he has to go under the coach just to not bother them this alienates Gregor cause not being able to see his family makes them forget about him making him get neglected more each time. When Gregor was a human he used to work and was the breadwinner of the family “Gregor later earned so much money that he was in a position to bear the expenses of the entire family” (55) but now that he is no longer able to work and has drastically changed it is as if he only use to the family was for the money that he earned “They took the money with thanks and he happily surrendered it, but the special warmth was no longer present” (55) but now that he can’t even do that he is useless and should not be considered in the family since he is

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In Metamorphosis, Gregor’s love for his sister, Grete, is what brings him happiness and the ultimate reason why he stays alive. His love for his sister, is what allows him to continue living as a transformed bug, but once his sister rejects Gregor saying, “He must go… this creature

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He tries to keep himself separated from his family and others, but that fails after a while. His family cannot take the sight of what he has become, except for his sister who becomes the one to look after him. In the story, Gregor’s family feels that he cannot communicate with them, but he still can understand everything they are saying. So, they lock him inside of his room away from the world. Gregor’s mother and father feel that Gregor will eventually get better, and turn back normal.

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Franz Kafka, heavily influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, devises the character Gregor Samsa in order to portray a detailed experience of an individual’s metamorphosis. Kafka’s narration style differs greatly from Ovid’s, in that, the narration begins with a first person perspective and changes to a third person narration, which remains consistent to the end of the novel. Unlike the stories within the Metamorphoses, there is a clear contrast in the portrayal of Gregor’s transformation. Ovid and Kafka’s depiction of a metamorphosis incorporates the concept of identity in the individual’s transition, however Kafka emphasizes the family dynamic and the hostility Gregor feels. Gregor’s family’s inability to look past Gregor’s exterior appearance

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However, Grete does not even notice. Towards the end of the piece, Grete is fed up with Gregor when she insists to her parents they must get rid of him. Grete states “I will not mention my brothers name when I speak of this monster here; I merely want to say: we must find some means of getting rid of it” (pg. 124). At this point, Grete has no more time to spend on Gregor.

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Growing up in a community with an unequal view of women, Grete has been influenced by the idea that her knowledge is of no importance. Grete had been looked down upon by her family for her lack of a stance and her position in society. However, Gregor’s transformation forces Grete to make up for his shortcomings, pushing her out of her comfort zone as well as her ideal gender role. Given the circumstances, Grete gives up her simple, easy lifestyle to make up for the loss of Gregor. In the beginning, Gregor depicts Grete using degrading terms to explain his sister, which suggests that her role as a female falls below his status as a male.

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