Isolation In Metamorphosis By Kafka

The consequences of Gregor’s isolation

Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a novella that explores the consequences of an unlikely transformation. Gregor’s isolation following the transformation has had a big impact on his life and the lives of his family. He is mentally and physically challenged. The rest of his family sacrifices their relationships and time to deal with the isolation. Gregor also loses touch with his family, and they are wedged apart. The consequences of Gregor’s isolation are thoroughly explored in many ways. It has a substantial impact on himself, his family, and the interpersonal relationships between them.

To begin, Gregor’s isolation deeply affects him physically, mentally, and emotionally. His transformation and exile greatly

He is not very mobile, and "the injury in [his] back began to hurt as much as when it was new" (Kafka, 50). He struggles to do simple things such as walk, and not being able to move around just worsens his condition. The pain in his back is also a reminder of how negatively his family thinks of him now since his dad is the one who caused it. Because of his lack of mobility, his sister visits him less often since he now struggles to hide himself. In addition, Gregor’s isolation takes a toll on his mental health. He believes that he is now a burden to his family. He is forced to stay in his room while the rest of his family continue their lives. Towards the end of his life, even moving "left him sad and tired to death and he would remain immobile for hours afterwards" (Kafka, 57). Gregor became depressed. He loses interest in what he did before his transormation and at the beginning of his segregation. His life becomes an endless loop of doing nothing all day. He is stuck in a vermin form, and he never even wonders why. Furthermore, Gregor’s isolation makes him struggle to keep his sense of self. He transforms from a human to a vermin and changes

After Gregor gets out and his father sends him back into isolation, the family dynamic worsens. Gregor notices that, unlike at the beginning of his segregation," they no longer held lively conversations of earlier times. All of them were very quiet nowadays" (Kafka, 47). It has taken a big toll on the rest of his family, and they are letting it affect their relationships with each other. Because of this, they no longer talk to each other; they mostly stay quiet. Unlike before, they are now emotionally distressed and can't live like they did before. His family also makes many sacrifices as they adjust to his isolation. Their lifestyles are abruptly transformed; they no longer live on their own schedule. Gregor overhears them talking about how "there [are] always at least two members of the family at home - no one [wants] to be alone by themselves, and it was out of the question to leave the flat entirely empty" (Kafka, 30). Because of this, they are forced to keep an eye on him. However, this causes them to sacrifice their lives since they cannot do other important things, like work. As he is isolated, his family cannot trust him alone and therefore dedicate their own time to guarding him. Gregor’s segregation impacts the lives of his whole family; they are not the same after the mental anguish his isolation is giving