Kafka’s metamorphosis provoked me to reevaluate my perspective on how I view my loved ones. Would they still accept me if I was different than I am now? This story draws a parallel to the present where people hide who they are because they would be shunned by society and would likely be harassed by the close-minded and maybe even to the point of committing suicide. The strange reality check that must come with being seen metaphorically likes a cockroach for being different, and the bravery people have for doing so is amazing.
The story was very hard for me to accept. Gregor was the sole provider for his family, yet upon his metamorphosis into a cockroach, his family did not seem to feel they should reciprocate the help he provided for them for him. The heartlessness of everyone in his family besides his sister left a very sour taste in my mouth (although later she loses her initiative to care for him as well). The irony is that one of the first thoughts on Gregor’s mind was that he would be late for work. Even at his worst he thought for the best of his family, but his family did not even seem to make an attempt to help Gregor at his worst.
Gregor’s death was eventually the enabler for his family to pursue their endeavors. This is quite ironic that even though he did so much for them, he somewhat held them back. They had never needed to work to further themselves; they never needed to take an initiative to do anything but enjoy themselves. It’s strange that the sense of entitlement that stemmed from Gregor’s support, and made them so selfish. In this world we are not entitled to anything; anything we get from the kindness of others should be reciprocated with equal kindness. Spoiled by the sense of entitlement, Gregor’s family ceased to view him as one of their own, but only a means to an ends financially to live comfortably.
Instead of approaching Gregor’s death with a sense of sadness and loss, his family experiences relief that this burden has finally been lifted. This was also quite bittersweet to read. Gregor was selfless until the end.
I like all the ironies you discovered in the book, especially where you thought of Gregor’s death as “the enabler for his family to pursue their endeavors,” because death is almost never welcomed by any families. It is definitely ironic in the sense that his family members start a new life whereas Gregor terminates his life. As to your questions on the reevaluation of your loved ones, I also came up with similar questions but wasn’t able to think of their reactions; what do you think your loved ones would have done?
I definitely agree with what you said about Gregor’s family. I think it would be hard to read the book and not dislike his parents. But I don’t totally agree with your analysis of Gregor. This is my own opinion and I can see how you felt bad for him, I think most people do, but I have a hard time empathizing with his problems when he doesn’t seem to care much himself.
What I got out of the book is that Kafka dislikes how most people prioritize life. I think he believed that most people wasted their lives and that when Gregor turned into a bug it wasn’t much of a shame because he wasn’t doing anything important anyways. And I agree with this. I think Gregor lived his life the way society and his family told him to live it. I don’t think he worked each day because of any deep love for his family but because that’s what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to work and he was supposed to provide for his family so he did; he didn’t feel passionately about anything.
So when you say you feel that his family should have treated him better I do agree. I do feel bad for him. But I also think that he could have improved his own life, both before and after his transformation, if he would’ve made some decisions for himself and tried to actively better his fortunes.
I agree with your view of Gregor’s family; I feel that they turned on him as soon as he stopped providing for them. Yet, I also felt some empathy for them because his appearance was so disgusting that they may not have helped but feel negatively towards him. I do think that their bond as a family should’ve surpassed their disgust for his appearance.
Gregor’s attitude throughout the story also bothered me. I didn’t think that there was much to do about his situation but it annoyed me that all he could think about was crawling around and complaining about his family.