Whether it is a gender hierarchy or a system of power organized by income, human society is is often reduced to some form of unequal power dynamic. Unfortunately, this type of structure can be extremely damaging to those at the bottom and those at the top. Members at the bottom are often looked down upon and forgotten while those at the top are power hungry and can become authoritarian. Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis is a text that illustrates these consequences. Kafka uses the characters of Grete, Gregor, and Mr. Samsa to demonstrate two different power structures and their effects. The two power dynamics presented revolve around gender and income. Kafka uses Grete and Gregor to show the extent of the damage that an unequal power structure between the sexes can cause, and he uses the father to show the effects of a capitalist-style hierarchy. Additionally, in the category of gender power structures, Kafka focuses on the character of Grete to explain the dynamic that men are superior to women, and vice versa. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAt the beginning of the short story, Grete is described as weak, when she realizes that Gregor is not well: “She had already started to cry. » (15). Grete is also dependent on Gregor, as he provides the money the family lives on and therefore provides everything Grete has. Grete's dependence on Gregor is manifested through her plan for his future: "to send him to the Conservatory next year" (22). Grete needs Gregor to "send" her to the Conservatory, because he is the breadwinner and she relies on him for money. This shows the unequal power structure between the woman and the man, with the latter seen as superior because he controls Grete and her future. Not only are women portrayed as weak at the beginning of the novel, but they are also dependent on a man. However, as the text progresses, the power structure shifts and women become the predominant sex. For example, Grete becomes Gregor's guardian after his metamorphosis. This changes the power structure because previously Grete depended on Gregor for money and his future, but now Gregor must depend on Grete to bring him food, the substance that keeps him alive. Gregor describes Grete's role when he says, "She brought him a whole assortment of foodstuffs" (19). Grete also becomes authoritarian, especially towards Gregor. This is seen when he accidentally terrifies Mrs. Samsa, "'Gregor,' his sister shouted, raising her fist with a menacing look" (29). Previously, Kafka describes Grete as crying and shown as weak, but now she threatens Gregor and raises her voice at him. Grete rose from the bottom of the family power structure to the top. Kafka depicts the two power structures: men are superior to women and women are superior to men through the character of Grete and also shows the consequences that arise from this. of these unequal dynamics. The first power structure that Grete is involved in results in her being seen as a useless member of the family. Since she is a traditional woman, she at one point relies on Gregor (the predominant male figure in her life) to provide for her, leading her parents to describe her as "a rather useless girl" (25). The second is just as damaging and causes Grete to become power-hungry to the point of suggesting killing her brother. As Grete realizes she is no longera worthless child, she yearns to have more and more power over her brother. This is seen when she persuades her parents to agree to “get rid of” Gregor: “'Dear parents,' says her sister, banging the table as a preamble, 'things cannot continue like this. Although you may not realize it, I most certainly do. I do not want to pronounce my brother's name in front of this creature, and so he will only say: we must try to get rid of it” (41). Grete's "banging on the table" shows her self-confidence since she wants to get her parents' attention and for people to listen to her ideas. Nina Straus, author of the essay Transforming Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis", shows here her conviction that Grete is part of two power structures: "It is she who, ironically, will 'bloom' as her brother will deteriorate; it is she whose mirror reflects the current situation of women as we attempt to criticize patriarchal domination” (Straus). Straus explains how Kafka manipulates the character of Grete to represent the current power structure that women find themselves in when she says, "she is the one whose mirror reflects the current situation of women as we try to criticize patriarchal domination » (Straus). Kafka uses the character of Grete to show the consequences of two types of gender power structures, a man being superior to a woman and a woman being superior to a man. The protagonist of the story, Gregor, is another character that Kafka manipulates to depict the damage. caused by two types of unequal power structures between the sexes. For Gregor, the story begins with the transformation of his body into that of an insect. This poses multiple problems, including his inability to communicate. Although Gregor is not presented as a human, Kafka uses Gregor's thoughts to show his role within the family before and after his transformation. Gregor is the only member of the family who earns money before his transformation; this places him at the top of the family power structure, as Gregor's "future and that of his family depended" on his income (15). Here the narrator describes Gregor's important role in the family as the breadwinner. This shows an unequal power structure between the sexes, as Gregor's father worked at one point, proving that he can support himself, but the women of the family are both entirely dependent on Gregor for money . However, after Gregor's transformation, he finds himself at the bottom of the family power structure. Gregor becomes completely dependent on his sister Grete, as she provides him with the food and water he needs to survive. Gregor's appreciation for Grete is demonstrated when the narrator describes Gregor's feelings: "If only Gregor could have spoken to his sister and thanked her for all she was obliged to do for him" (24). This is an example of the gender power dynamic where women are superior to men, since Gregor is dependent on Grete. As the story progresses, Grete grows into her role as the authoritative power in her relationship with Gregor; she no longer cares as much about Gregor as she did at the beginning of the story. Additionally, rather than carefully selecting food for him, she would now "quickly put a randomly chosen food item into his room with her foot on her way to work in the morning or at noon, only to sweep it up again in the evening." a quick shot.” of the broom” (35). Now that she has become more powerful than him, she has lost the respect she once had for Gregor, as she now "throws randomly chosen foods into his room" rather than selectingcarefully the foods that Gregor likes. Both power structures that Kafka shows through Gregor prove detrimental and ultimately contribute to his death. The power dynamic between the sexes, with men being taller than women and vice versa, is extremely damaging. Kafka shows the consequences through the character of Gregor. When Gregor is the breadwinner, he is under enormous pressure to provide for everyone. This reflects the early power structure that the man is superior to the woman because Gregor must provide for the women in his family. This not only puts him under significant stress, but also prevents him from spending time with his family. While his family sleeps, Gregor rushes out of the house early each morning. This is seen when he says, “my train leaves at five o’clock” (4). Gregor has to catch the train at five a.m. every morning, which suggests that he wakes up even earlier than his departure time and must go to bed extremely early if he wants to get enough sleep to work long hours. This schedule doesn't leave much time for activities other than work and sleep, so Gregor can't spend much time with his family. This is detrimental because Gregor cannot maintain relationships with his family members if he never spends time with them. The second power structure that Gregor is a part of also has serious consequences. Gregor goes from being the most valued member of the family to being useless. Since he no longer helps his family in any way, he is convinced that he is no longer needed. This causes him to fall into depression, where he eats “almost nothing” (36). In this passage, Gregor refuses to eat and slowly starves to death. Through the character of Gregor, Kafka clearly shows how damaging an unequal power structure can be. By putting all the pressure on one gender, a situation arises where one feels useless and the other feels overwhelming pressure to provide. The final character Kafka uses to show the damage of an unequal power structure is Mr. Samsa. As the novella begins, Mr. Samsa is unemployed and has debts that Gregor is struggling to repay. The father is portrayed as lazy, as he makes Gregor pay his debts rather than working to repay them himself. His laziness is illustrated here: “Gregor's father was certainly in good health, but he was old and had not worked for five years” (23). This situation also demeans him within the family's power structure because he does not provide any help. Although this is not a gendered power structure, it is nonetheless significant and vital because it reveals how power functions within a capitalist society. Although Gregor is unemployed at first, once the family realizes Gregor is unlikely to become a businessman again. human form, the father decides to work again. This gives him a sense of pride and subverts the power structure. Today, Gregor is seen as useless, while the father is praised for being the breadwinner. The father's pride is evident when he refuses “to take off his doorman's uniform even at home” (33). Here he doesn't change because he is very proud of his new job and providing for the family. Although this power structure is focused on money rather than gender, the consequences that come with it are just as damaging. One of the consequences of this power dynamic is that the father has lost all respect for his son Gregor. In one instance, when Gregor leaves his room, Mr. Samsa fills "his pockets from the fruit bowl on the sideboard" and throws "apple after apple in Gregor's direction.".