Family Metamorphosis Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a dark story about a man’s bodily change and his disconnection from his family. Gregor Sansa underwent a transformation from man to vermin, which ultimately had an impact on his family’s lifestyle. Commonly, Gregor’s physical alteration over shadows the metamorphosis of the Sansa family, which in addition to Gregor’s, is a significant part of the story. The metamorphosis of this family can be compared to that of a typical family dealing with the illness of a child, as seen in Michael Rowe’s Metamorphosis: Defending the Human. Through their transformation, Kafka shows his readers how the Samsa family underwent a positive change as a result of Gregor’s unfortunate one. For years, Gregor assumed the responsibility of supporting …show more content…
Kafka shows his readers that Gregor’s father showcased his dominance aggressively towards Gregor, most likely because he felt as though Gregor had taken that position from him, and acting as though he had to protect his family from the vermin that had replaced their son. Gregor’s mother attempted to show what little affection remained for her son, by agreeing to help Grete move Gregor’s furniture. She could not stand the sight of him, but still wanted what was best for him, leading to her see Gregor and pass out. His father mistook the situation as Gregor attacking his mother, and went as far as to through apples at Gregor, injuring him in the process. With Gregor no longer acting as a source of income for his family, they had to become independent and fend for themselves. His father was working again, his mother “sewed delicate lingerie for a clothing store”, and his sister “had taken a job as a salesgirl” (Kafka, 45). With his whole family working to make up for his lack of support, they were able to pay off their debt and better provide for