blog




  • Essay / The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: Gregor's relationship with his father

    In Franz Kafka's short story, “The Metamorphosis”, the character Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning and discovers that he has transformed into an insect . Gregor's metamorphosis into an insect says a lot about his relationship with his family. Regarding his relationship with his father, Gregor's true feeling for his father is revealed to be that he feels obligated to support his father financially. Gregor's father, however, reveals that his true feelings towards Gregor are that he despises him and does not care for him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Gregor feels he has an obligation to support his father. After realizing that he has turned into an insect, Gregor is completely unconcerned about his physical state. The only thing he cared about was his job, fearing that his "boss would definitely come with the doctor from the health insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor's recommendation not to pretend to be the doctor.” believed that no one was ever sick but that many worked” (Metamorphosis). Gregor takes a job he hates to pay off his father's debt and take his father's place as breadwinner after his father's business goes bankrupt. He says that "if I hadn't thought of my parents, I would have given in my notice a long time ago" (Metamorphosis), showing that the only reason he works in this position is for his parents. Even as an insect, Gregor was selfless and "was always there and had not the slightest intention of abandoning his family" (Metamorphosis). He does everything he can for the benefit of his father and his family, regardless of the pain he causes himself. When Gregor tried to open the door after his transformation, he thought of his family and "bite the key with all his might, paying no attention to the pain he was causing himself" (Transfiguration). Gregor, both as a human and as an insect, cares more about his father than himself. Gregor's father's true feelings for Gregor are completely different from Gregor's altruistic feelings for him. His father despises him and uses him for his own benefit. After his father's business went bankrupt, Gregor worked hard to support the family since his father was no longer able to do so. At first, his father and family were “astonished and delighted,” but then he “got used to it” (Metamorphosis). In providing for the family, Gregor's relationship with his father became distant, claiming that he "only remained close to his sister" (Metamorphosis). This suggests that if Gregor takes over as the breadwinner of the family, his father might feel ashamed that his son has to repay his debt and of the role reversal since the father is expected to provide for the family. After Gregor's transformation into an insect, his father's true resentment towards him comes to the fore. Because he no longer provides for the family and has become a burden, his father is disgusted and hostile towards him. When he sees him for the first time as an insect, he is hostile to him and “grabs the head clerk's stick, picks up a large newspaper from the table and uses it to lead Gregor back to his room” (Metamorphosis ). When Gregor found himself trapped between the door, "his father gave him a strong push from behind which freed him from where he was held and sent him flying and bleeding profusely to the back of his room" (Metamorphosis ). He also shows extreme hostility towards Gregor when he "decided to pelt" him with apples and his sister had to "beg [him] to spare the life of.