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Theme Of Cruelty In Frank Kafka's Metamorphosis

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In The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka cruelty is what stemmed Gregor’s change into a large bug and subconsciously motivated him to end his life. Gregor’s new form was a depiction of how he already felt in his household, trapped, voiceless, and small. As Gregor’s metamorphosis developed so did the characters cruelty which affected both the perpetrators and the victims. The Samasa family’s cruelty was demonstrated both physically and mentally by Gregor’s father driving him back into his room, throwing apples at him and by Grete’s use of the word “it”. The cruelty of the Samsa family to Gregor started even before his metamorphosis. He was the main supporter of his family after his father's business failed and by this be was trapped. Forced to work a job he hated Gregor worked tirelessly to pay off his father’s debt. In doing so Gregor was isolated from the world and was never able to find a wife or have a life of his own. After Gregor’s metamorphosis the cruelty his family showed him changed. He was now not just confined to his house but his bedroom with very little human interaction. His sister Grete who seemed to show Gregor the most compassion in the begining changed and in the end was the one to say “it has to go”. Grete’s sudden change of heart towards Gregor triggered his death as he crawled back to his room and died at 3 …show more content…

These emotions did not just affect him however as Gregor’s family began to have the same feelings as well which led to their relief when Gregor died. Cruelty helped to develop the characters perspectives and showed how hard times and tough circumstances can make people change until you can’t even recognize them anymore. For Gregor this change was literal and physical but for the rest of the Samsa family this change was mostly mental. This changed capsized almost every character in the novella and only ended once Gregor’s life

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1. What circumstances in Gregor’s life have caused him to feel dehumanized even before The Metamorphosis took place? Because of his monotonous job as a traveling salesman, which kept him away from home for extended periods of time, Gregor Samsa felt alienated. He didn't have a social life, no friends, and no interesting and fun hobbies, so he felt like a cog in a machine.

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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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Many people die from neglect much like Gregor did in the story. Gregor transformed into an insect-like creature and from then he was neglected which eventually lead to the reason he died. Danielle was extremely neglected by her mother and that affected the way she grew up. Danielle was malnourished and had insect bites from head to toe. When Danielle was finally taken in to receive help, she didn't know how to act around other people.

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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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Gregor had problems from the first sentence of the story, “One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug” (Kafka 137). The biggest problem Gregor had was fitting in. Gregor was an outsider, different than the rest of his family, and for that, Gregor was constantly misjudged. Gregor was misjudged for many reasons. The physical representation of himself was probably one of the bigger reasons.

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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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The Repercussions of Cruelty Cruel actions lead to cruel endings. Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis, is turned into a bug from the mental and emotional abuse by the hands of his own family. The cruelty in the Samsa household is apparent from the beginning of the storyline. Their neglect and lack of compassion for Gregor's condition immediately sets the dark and miserable mood of the novella. Gregor’s whole existence has been about caring for his family and making sacrifices for their well being.

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Anxiety is another recurring theme in The Metamorphosis. Mrs. Samsa, Gregor’s mother, is a prime example of this. After Gregor’s mother discovers her son has transformed into a bug, she has a hard time staying conscious long enough to even look at him. When Gregor first emerges from his room, she immediately begins screaming and then collapses into the arms of her husband. “‘Help, for God’s sake, help!’

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Another aspect of the novel left unexplained by the author is that of the pain that Gregor feels. Kafka includes the pain that Samsa feels at particular parts of the novel, but also the pain seems to be

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Gregor is the main provider within the family for the amount of income he brings, and is idolized for his role. Being raised in the 20th century, Gregor 's view on women had been the same as any other male during this time period and looked down upon women as inadequate, and, in most societies, the man provides and the woman maintains; however, this viewpoint alternates once the unexpected change in their life occurs resulting in a switch of leadership within their household. "Gregor felt very proud that he had been able to provide such a life in so nice an apartment for his parents and his sister. (21)" After his mysterious modification within his physical form, his mentality also weakened.

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