People want their family to love and support them through difficult times, but if they are unable to develop that bond with their family members, they tend to feel lonely and depressed. . In the novel The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Kafka describes the theme of alienation and its negative effects on people and their relationships with those around them. This theme can be shown through Gregor Samsa, the main character of The Metamorphosis. After Gregor's metamorphosis or transformation, he goes from a human being to a giant insect, which makes him more and more distant from the people in his life. The alienation Gregor experiences leads to his eventual downfall, which could and would happen to anyone else who becomes estranged from the people around them. Gregor's alienation and its effects on his relationship with his family can be demonstrated by his lack of voluntary interaction with his family members due to his inability to communicate with them, by the enormous burden he brings on the family after his metamorphosis and by his family's hope to get rid of him because he is no longer what he was before. Gregor's alienation first arises after he wakes up one morning after being transformed into a giant insect. The negative effects of Gregor's alienation may first manifest through the minimal interaction he begins to have with the rest of his family. His metamorphosis into a giant creature is what prevents him from wanting to interact with other people. He is no longer a human being and therefore cannot act as one. The effect this metamorphosis has on Gregor can be understood through a quote where Gregor's business manager says, "What's the matter?" You barricade yourself in your room, only answering "yes" and "no", because your parents... middle of paper ...... Gregor's was in The Metamorphosis. Works Cited • Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Dell, 1915. Print.e• “Metamorphosis, The.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Online school edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. November 6, 2011. • “Alienation”. Oxford English Dictionary Online. Oxford University Press, 2011. web. November 6, 2011..• “Schmoop”. The Metamorphosis family quote. Shmoop University, Inc., 2011.Web. November 6, 2011.. • Bernstein, Richard. “A JOURNEY THROUGH KAFKA’S AMBIGUITIES”. New York Times May 2, 1983. : n. page. ProQuest Platinum.Web. November 6 2011.