Metamorphositis

“Metamorphosis”: The story of a traveling salesman who, shortly after returning home, awakens one day to discover that he has literally changed into a gargantuan insect incapable of communication. Upon the initial scanning of this story a reader might think this is the plain and simple case, but on further examination will find that this is not what the story is about at all. Although focusing on and told from Gregor's point of view and what is happening to him, don't be fooled though, this is actually a story about Grete. If you study each of the main characters in the story you will find many similarities Gregor, his Father, and Mother share in the manner of their metamorphosis. All three of them go through quite sudden and obvious metamorphoses near the same time. Grete, on the other hand, becomes a point of interest in that her metamorphosis is quite different; it is a much slower, gradual, and overall more inconspicuous change that comes over her.

Throughout the book there is a pointed emphasis on Grete somewhat concealed by Gregor's point of view. We see a vivid description of all of the members of Gregor's family at the beginning of the story. Each of them notices and reacts to Gregor's sudden change in behavior with marked difference. We are shown each of them in their natural state, reacting to Gregor's delinquency through Gregor's eyes. First, his mother gently concerned that her son is not fulfilling his usual duties. Then his father, looking for a way to take some kind of charge, (and this is significant) pounding on the door, in comparison to his mothers approach. You see the Father taking a sort of controlling, disciplinary role here. Last we are shown Grete. She is introduced briefly here as are the other characters, but her reactions to Gregor and the manner in which she changes later on will set her apart from her parents and even Gregor..

From Gregor and his parents we see a rather fast transformation in their attitude towards Gregor's metamorphoses. Gregor himself doesn't seem to think twice about the fact that he has awaken as a giant insect, rather he spends his thoughts on the mundane, things that he needed to get done as if being a giant cockroach wouldn't impinge on his normal activities. His father, mother, and sister all do freak out when he leaves his room for the first time as is natural, but hereafter we find that Grete is the only one that is willing to care for Gregor in any manner at all. Very quickly the old Gregor is forgotten to his parents, and to them he is naught more than a large bug. His father threatens him with a stick and his mother rejects who he is. Grete, while creeped out by him, still found ways to bring Gregor the food that he needed and liked for a pretty significant period of time while his parents would try to avoid him completely. Part of them realizing, though, that this was still their son they did not pursue removing the bug from their lives completely.

Grete is dependent on Gregor for her prissy, Victorian lifestyle with maids and cleaning ladies. As she works with Gregor, her attitude towards him slowly changes. She starts out rather a weak person, and her attempts to take care of Gregor as an insect . As she slowly begins to understands that there is nothing she can do to nurse Gregor back into health she becomes more and more withdrawn from him. Her comfortable survival is obviously more important to her than his at this point. She realizes