You may think that you know a person very well, but just one occasion can turn them into a total stranger. Unfortunately, that is the truth many of us have already experienced or have yet to experience. The pain, emptiness, and disconnectedness that one feels when this happens are skillfully described by Franz Kafka in his famous novella “The Metamorphosis”. The writer tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa who finds himself one morning transformed into the “horrible vermin” (Kafka 2). However, the changes happen not only with the main hero but also with his family members as they start avoiding and despising previously loved Gregor. Although Samsa’s mother and father also reveal new edges of their characters, the most important metamorphosis – after Gregor’s – happens with Grete – the sister of the main hero. Both Gregor and Grete undergo physical and psychological transformations but in diametrically opposite directions. While the brother changes into a lonely insect who continues loving his family, his sister turns into a beautiful woman but with a cold heart.
The readers first discover the changes that happened with Gregor at the same moment as the main hero himself. The author decides to keep in secret what caused such metamorphosis. Still, as soon as Gregor’s life story is revealed, one may guess that transformation is related to the protagonist’s existence. Indeed, the main character was working hard so that he “could lay [cash] on the table at home for the benefit of his astonished and delighted family”(Kafka 24). He dreamt that one day he would be able to finish paying the father’s debts and send his sister to the conservatorium. Therefore, it is fair to conclude that Gregor’s life consisted solely of work and sleep and lacked any kind of human pleasures, which made his reality similar to some insect’s existence.
Although the main character changed from the outside, he remained a loving and caring son and brother on the inside. For instance, in order not to disturb Grete while she was cleaning his room, Gregor carries a “bedsheet over to the couch on his back…so that he was completely covered…”(Kafka 28). However, Gregor feels increasingly lonely as his family gradually abandons him. His soul becomes empty, similar to his room, as Grete decides to get rid of the stuff inside. Finally, Gregor dies depressed, isolated, and betrayed by the closest people to him.
On the contrary, Grete changes from loving and carrying little girl into a cold-hearted adult woman. She, first, takes care of Gregor due to a feeling of pity: she cleans his room, brings him the food, and reestablishes his room. However, as she grows older, finds a job, and studies during the nights, she starts considering her care as a duty. As a result, after Gregor ruins her concert, Grete is the one who suggests getting rid of her brother.
At the end of the story, Mr. and Mrs. Samsa notice that their daughter turned “into a well-built and beautiful young lady” (Kafka 54). Thus, Grete finished her own metamorphosis from a young girl to an adult person. However, her change is opposite to the transformation that happened to Gregor. She is happy and does not have any personal or family burdens to carry. On the contrary, if she needed to care about Gregor, she would probably become a “horrible vermin” like him (Kafka 2). Therefore, it can be concluded that Grete’s beauty could flourish at the expense of her brother’s life.
In summary, Kafka creates two diametrically opposite characters regarding their inside and outside worlds. Gregor converts into the insect due to his hard work and abstinence from worldly pleasures. He constantly thinks about the well-being of his family, especially caring about his little sister. The main hero’s transformation increases his loneliness as the closest people betray him, but Gregor could keep his heart unspoiled until the end. Contrary, his sister turned into a beautiful woman that was ready to create her own family. However, Grete’s heart changed as she grew older, which led to her brother’s death.
Work cited
Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. Icon Group International, 2005