Although Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka was not one of my favorite short stories, it certainly provoked a series of reactions and images in my head. Not knowing anything about the story before I opened the book, the first lines of Gregor Samsa waking to find himself changed into a cockroach was definitely shocking. My reaction was something like this: 
As the story progressed, I was shocked to find Gregor so transfixed on issues such as getting to work on time and pleasing his bosses, rather than totally grasping that he had completely metamorphosed into a cockroach, a species associated with disgust and filth. His lack of grasp on the situation reminded me of my older brother who often gets flustered with the amount of work he has to do, that he doesn’t even realize that certain things are occurring. Kafka is metaphorically demonstrating that in high times of stress and materialism, we human beings often lose sight of ourselves and our initial priorities of wellness.
I sympathized with Gregor, especially with his times of extreme loneliness. He is an animal that still desires affection and love. While reading this, I thought about my dog Daisy and 
how she is often lonely when everyone is away at work and school. At least Daisy is able to see us when we get back and we greet her with love.
Being in an unattended room, to a family that is too scared to look at you must be the most depressing time a man can go through. Kafka is emphasizing the meaning of family but also the affect of loneliness on one’s psyche.
As Gregor engages in various exploits which concluded with his death, I can’t help but feel relief. Gregor’s death had to be the conclusion of this short story because his life just became more and more depressing as the story went on. It was like watching a man being tortured and not being able to do anything. I like how Kafka concluded with a hopeful note by 
writing, “And it felt like a confirmation of their new dreams and their fond intentions when, as they reached their destination, their daughter was the first to get up, and stretched her nubile young body.” (146). While Gregor metamorphoses into a horrible monster, his sister blossoms into a young woman. The ending reminded of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and how Scout had finally matured by the end of the novel.
Overall, I thought Metamorphosis was a decent story with strong and relevant themes.
Kevin, I first want to say I really enjoyed the media you displayed, that initial picture is hilarious. Obviously when Gregor wakes up, realizes he’s turned into a cockroach, and then proceeds to worry about his boss and making the train, it was dumbfounding to read. I thought you made a great point in saying that Kafka was showing how in times of pressure, human beings can be so short sighted and in-the-moment. Loneliness is a very sad state to be in, and even though Gregor was a horrible looking creature, he still had feelings, and it did make me sad to read about someone with no companionship, or even company in his life. I also really liked how you contrasted Gregor’s loneliness with the fact that he had his family right outside his bedroom, yet they were not visiting him. Relief is a perfect feeling to have at the end of this story, and as Gregor devolved into something repugnant, his sister evolved into a “thing of beauty”. The reference to Scout is appropriate as both she and Gregor’s sister mature, almost overnight it feels, at the end of their respective stories.
I agree all of your writing on how loneliness can really mess a person up and how stress and lots of work can really make someones priorities way out of line, like it is in the story. However, I view the ending of the story very different from you. It was apparent the family used Gregor to their own devices and caused him to become something that he was not originally and can even be argued that the pressure the family put on him caused his metamorphosis, and when I read “And it felt like a confirmation of their new dreams and their fond intentions when, as they reached their destination, their daughter was the first to get up, and stretched her nubile young body.” (146) All i could think was oh no. They are going to use their daughter as they did their son. It apparent that the debt is still there and they will now marry their daughter to a successful man to gain an advantage on their own selfish behalf. I think the ending with the daughter is foreshadowing her possible metamorphism.