in class essay

topic 3

“One morning, as Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vernon.” (Kafka 5) While one may suspect a person to be stunned or even horrified by the fact that they have awoken as a vernon, Gregor on the other hand was nearly impartial to this metamorphosis. As the book progresses we notice that he does not give his physical shift in appearance much thought, rather he is more concerned with the altering dynamics within his family. His life is dedicated to the wellbeing of his family, and due to his fathers seemingly endless “vacation” the stress has been put on Gregor to sustain his family’s lifestyle and “bring home the bacon”. For this Gregor does not seem bitter however it is evident that his love and affection truly lays with his sister who must fill the void Gregor’s transformation has cast and join the work force herself. While his physical metamorphosis may be much more drastic, the metamorphosis that partakes within his family is of much greater concern. 

The fist and most astonishing change that partakes in this novel is Gregor waking up as a “monstrous vernon”. His appearance has greatly altered and he is no longer capable of carrying out his typical tasks. He can no longer go to work and can no longer interact with people. Thus, he is not able to tell his family that he means no harm, tell his sister what food her prefers, or tell his boss that he can no longer attend work due to his unusual condition. Due to his inability to communicate with humans he can not tell his sister (who is simply trying to make his life more convenient) that he does not want her to move his belongings outside of his room. His inability to convey his thoughts, which is brought on by his physical metamorphosis, causes him great pain. However, he still notices that despite his physical disposition the changes that are partaking within his family have a much greater impact than do the single change that solely affects him. 

While the changes within his family may very well have been brought on by Gregor's metamorphosis, the impact they had were bigger than Gregor. The father who seemed to have no motivation was now dressing for work. His sister who had no purpose took on Gregor’s roll and began working for the family. It appears that after this monumental shift in Gregor’s appearance the family each began to take on a greater roll in both their lives and in the lives of each other. While the transformation may not have necessarily brought the family closer it certainly gave them motivation to work harder and gave them a purpose in life.