When I started reading Metamorphosis during my commute, I had no idea what it was about. I started reading without expecting anything. So when Gregor started describing himself, I wasn’t sure what was happening. When it occurred to me that he turned into a bug …
But his nonchalant reaction to his own misfortune also confused me. Normally, wouldn’t we as readers react the same way as the perspective being presented to us? So the fact that Gregor was indifferent to his own transformation and was casually trying to get out of bed for work made me stop and question, shouldn’t he be freaking out? It made me question what was the correct reaction when logical was telling me, yes, the correction reaction is to go ballistic. Especially when Gregor started climbing the walls …
As I continued reading, I understood that Gregor was supposed to be the pitied character. He spent his life working to pay off his father’s debt, to pay for his family’s comfortably, and hoped to pay for his sister to go to the conservatory. But the moment he became unable to support his family, they all turned on him. Despite that though, I related more with the father in the sense that I understood why he would scorn his son and in that, I would have probably done the same.
No that’s a lie, but isn’t that mentality of society? The more useful you are to someone or something, the more worth you have. The moment you’ve lost your worth, you’re discarded and replaced. When you’re fired at a job, your position gets filled by somebody else.
I also understood that it was messed up for his family to rejoice when Gregor died, but they had stayed with him even as a bug. Although it was because they couldn’t move him, but if they didn’t care at all, they could have left without him. They could have killed him themselves. They rejoiced because they wouldn’t have to suffer from financial instability anymore. I’m actually glad they moved out and started providing for themselves instead of living off Gregor.
First of all, I love the GIFs.
I completely agree with your analysis. Although I understand the mentality of Gregor’s family after his change, the reader feels pity for him and most tend to dislike the family. (Even though society then and now could condone this behavior.) I think its also important to note that the family, despite how they treat him, are still unable to kill him. This shows that they either have an emotional tie, or a social obligation to provide for him. Either way, I agree that Kafka is making a statement about societal norms.
I had the same reaction when I noticed the Gregor’s matter-of-factness of the situation. I had expected Gregor to start freaking out about his new limbs and hard shell and other bug-y features. Instead, he focused on getting to work so I found your first GIF to be quite fitting for me (and very humorous too).
But I disagree with the point you made when you compared society to Gregor’s family. In my opinion, it is much harder (if not impossible) to replace family members than it is to replace job positions in society. It was hard for the family to deal with Gregor because deep down, they knew Gregor was a part of the family, which is why they could not bring themselves to kill him. They each faced an internal struggle because they scorned Gregor in some way or fashion, but could not do anything about him. He was family.
In the end, I thought the reason why the family showed relief when Gregor died was that his situation was finally out of their hands. The Samsas would no longer be forced to make a decision on what to do with him anymore. I did not rejoice from this because I felt pity towards the family and their emotional struggle.
I find Gregor’s reaction to his metamorphosis weird as well. Like you, I would probably freak out if I saw myself transformed into a bug. Maybe that was how Gregor saw himself already. If I recall correctly from seminar on Wednesday, Franz Kafka thought that he was hideous. I might find it logical to believe that Kafka was trying to draw a similar connection with Gregor. I had pity for Gregor throughout most of the story, but I can see how one can become sympathetic towards his family as well. Grete’s dreams to become a musician were crushed, his father was forced to work long hours, and his mother was at a fragile physical state already with her asthma. I would be glad that Gregor died if I were the family too.
I agree with you guys that Gregor’s reaction was totally odd but I do feel that it was necessary to build his character. If Gregor was a man who had his own priorities first, he would understand that crazy situation he was in. Yet, he is too focused on his job security and providing for his family, that he cannot see these things. Kafka is pointing out that all of us do this, just probably not on this grand of scale. So many times, I’ve had a lot of work to do and didn’t have time to eat eventually causing me to get tired and inadvertently decrease my own efficiency. Perhaps its not the greatest lesson that Kafka teaches us but he is definitely saying that we need to take care of ourselves before we help others.
I think I agree on your more optimistic view that Gregor’s family wasn’t as evil as everyone (including myself) has been saying they are. I never thought of it that way, but it’s true – they could have left Gregor from day one, or killed him themselves. But they stayed in the flat, and if I remember correctly Gregor didn’t die for months! If there was a monstrous cockroach next door to my room, I wouldn’t be able to sleep and would be out of there within a week. However, I’m not sure if the Samsa’s did this because they were loving and kind to their son, or because of their dependence on Gregor. They were sort of weak and feeble as individuals before Gregor’s transformation, and I don’t think they took action for anything they wanted (the father sat in his chair all day instead of working to provide for his family, the sister and mother seem faint, teary, and hysterical all the time). Gregor provided for everything for them, and I think they needed all that time to let go and grow as individuals. But whether it was out of kindness or weakness, they slept in the same house with a big scary cockroach, and I now give them credit for that.
I have to say that I agree with Cate. Perhaps not moving out of the apartment was just another demonstration of the reliance that the family had on Gregor. They were incapable of doing anything for themselves until they were forced to. Even when the three merchants move in, they allow themselves to be treated in a ridiculous manner. I understand that they had to provide for the three men since they were staying at their home, but the idea that they were afraid to go about their own home in fear of upsetting the three merchants to me seems ridiculous. The fact that they lived in fear everyday that the dinner will not be to their liking, that the merchants will not be pleased just shows further how they are not capable of standing up for themselves.
I mostly agree when you say that in society, the more useful you are the more worth you have. In companies and work offices, if you are of greater use to them than the next person, you are offered a promotion or a raise. But I think within families, it doesn’t matter if you are useful, your presence itself is worthy because you are connected by an emotional bond rather than a physical one.
I also think that it’s better for the family to have moved on and supported themselves, because relying on only one person is difficult and overbearing. They should’ve realized that Gregor constant hard work would have lead to a stress-filled life because the pressure from both his family and job was always high. Although they are leaving because Gregor had died, I think it would have been better if they left before, or if he had left the household. It’s important to support your family, but he shouldn’t have devoted his entire life to it. Your reaction video to the family leaving describes the situation perfectly because it is nonchalant and indifferent; Gregor’s family didn’t come to accept the situation and therefore was unable to properly react to his death.