Dear Diary,
At first, I was like: why is Kafka writing a meaningless story about a meaningless man who turns into a bug and then dies. Then I was like: oh yeah, I was right…
I really didn’t get it, and the story seemed like a depressing tale that served to explain what we all know: bugs live a brief life and then die.
From the start, my image of Gregor was that of a man slouched over his work, who was depressed at the cards he was dealt. My image of him as a bug was very similar: a bug, depressed, who is struggling to get his work done. I think there is a reason that the narration does not seem to change a lot when Gregor turns into a bug. He continued to think about the same things: what do I have to do? Am I late? Will I lose my job? I think that his mental process before and after the transformation were essentially equal. He did exactly what he needed to do to survive, and just that. 
This frustrated me a lot. I think this is why people view The Metamorphosis as such a melancholy book. I felt as if the squeal of Gregor’s voice as an insect wasn’t very different from his low tone mumble as a human. He lacked any dreams and lived to pay off his parent’s debt and die. He worked to maintain stasis and never escaped the thought process of a bug. Although survival is important, I really think the key quality of humans is our ability to think. We develop connections with inanimate objects, ponder how we came to be and even find love. However, Gregor does not.
Even though my thoughts have been mostly negative, there is a streak of light within The Metamorphosis. I found Grete to be a very significant character. By significant I mean that she loves and cares for Gregor, and actually has characteristics of a normal human. Almost all the characters in The Metamorphosis lack positive attributes. However, Grete extends her love for Gregor through his transformation and I have always viewed her as his guardian angel.
Austin
Dear my fellow brotha A-SwAg,
Parallel to your interpretation, I believed the Samsa family was not at all relatable or imaginable. They completed their motions without a face in my mind. However, I was able to construct a detailed picture of Grete because she was the only family member who possessed the human characteristic of compassion and kindness. Upon Gregor’s transformation, she was the only one who (initially) stuck by his side. This “bed side” care giving reminds me of the action between a sickly father and his earnest daughter who is trying to wish him back to health. The only difference being Gregor is a giant cock..roach and Grete is his transforming younger sister. However, this imagine slowly faded as Grete gave up hope on her emotionless brother; introducing the negative affect.
The overall negative affect of Kafka’s story I greatly appreciate and find commendable. Kafka’s ability to create a story that does not have a happy ending goes against the social norm. Think about it, in crafting a story that does not have a fairy tale ending takes both courage and talent. Although, as you mention, this story doesn’t evoke any pleasant emotions (if any emotions), it does leave the reader with a sense of doubt; not everything is good in this world. Just like bugs live a short life, all things in life are not joyous.
-Jake
I like your view of the themes in “The Metamorphosis.” I agree with you that Gregor was living a monotonous life prior to his transformation into the beetle and like you, was also shocked to find that he wasn’t really moved by his change. However, I personally think his obsession with work stemmed from his devotion to his family. Maybe he couldn’t stop thinking about going back to work because if he couldn’t, it meant failing his family! I think too many people judge Gregor for not “living his life to the fullest,” but I personally believe he had set a purpose to his life and was simply following through with it.
I’m glad you liked Grete as much as I do (or did until the end when she lost her patience). She was definitely the character to show the most humanity. I admired her for this especially because it did not come naturally to her. Even though she was disgusted with Gregor, she continued to care for him because she still believed he was her brother.