Entrapment In The Metamorphosis

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Pages: 3

We have all been given a feeling of entrapment from our parents at one time or another—some cases, worse than others. In Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa awakes and finds he has transformed into a giant beetle like insect. He cannot move or speak, and becomes an object of disgrace to his family—as if he wasn’t already. The situation forces his family to take care of themselves, without Gregor’s usual help. Over the course of the novella, the family continues to treat him poorly because of his beetle crisis. The novel ends with Gregor’s death, and the family quickly renews their life. Gregor’s transformation exemplifies the trapped feeling his parents imprinted on his selfhood. Gregor’s family pays no attention to him, causing him the feeling of negligence. Mr. Samsa and Gregor’s sister, Grete, do not have an issue with Gregor until he is no longer of financial use to them. Before Gregor’s transformation, Grete is considered nothing. But after, slowly she becomes the favorite child. By the end, she becomes more valued by the Samsa’s than Gregor could’ve ever imagined to be. Gregor’s father had a …show more content…
Gregor dies alone and rejected. Had he been able to go to work as the giant insect, the family would have been able to tolerate him. All they cared about was the fact they now had to take on their own financial work and replace all of the deeds they became accustomed to Gregor doing. Gregor Samsa was mentally and verbally abused under the Samsa roof before before his transformation into a giant beetle like insect. As he experienced his transformation, physical abuse was quickly added to the list of his traumas. Gregor lived a heavy hearted, miserable life. In the end, in his family’s opinion, Gregor relieved the heavy burden he carried daily on his family, leaving them satisfied, and Gregor out of his own