The Metamorphosis (Essay Sample)

Name
Name of Professor
Literature
Date
Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in the Metamorphosis, wakes up only to find out that he has turned into a human sized insect overnight. Both as an insect and as a human being, the protagonist accepts himself the way he is, and he faces all the hardships he has coming his way, without complaint. When Gregor first realizes that he has turned into an insect, he does not bemoan his new transformation, wonder why it has happened, or attempt to transform back into a human being. Quite the contrary, he accepts that he has become an insect and tries to adapt to his new life the best way possible.
In The Metamorphosis, Kafka is effective in making the audience sympathetic to his main character, Gregor. The audience is sympathetic to Gregor’s new condition mainly because there is no explanation for Gregor’s transformation. There is absolutely no evidence that the transformation of Gregor is the result of any certain cause, such as a punishment for misbehaving. Quite the opposite, Gregor has been a very good son and brother. He is employed at a job he does not like so that he can take care of his family and is planning to pay for his sister, who wants to study music at the conservatory.
It is also sympathetic how Gregor’s family members are struggling with both feelings of sympathy and revulsion towards him, after his metamorphosis. Grete and Gregor’s mother particularly have a great deal of sympathy towards Gregor, mainly because they suspect that there is still some aspect of his humanity, despite his new appearance. That sympathy makes Grete to initially assume the role of Gregor’s caretaker- even going as far as trying to discover what food he likes.
Kafka also makes the audience sympathetic to the protagonist, when the stresses caused by him eventually wear down the sympathy of his family. Even Grete, the most caring of them, Grete, finds out that she has a limit to her sympathy. For instance, Grete is so revolted and upset with how his brother looks that she cannot stand to be in the same room with him. Gregor’s mother is also so horrified when she sees how he has transformed, that she faints while she and...