Metamorphosis-Grete Grete Samsa Is Perhaps

Metamorphosis-Grete

Grete Samsa is perhaps as interesting a character in Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" than the protagonist himself. Indeed, this three part short story could have also been written with Grete as the protagonist, as opposed to her brother Gregor. Kafka wrote "Metamorphosis" by depicting an evolution of Gregor Samsa from a productive human being who was the sole breadwinner of his household, and to whom his whole family (father, mother and sister) depended on, to a sub-human to nothing more than an insect -- physically and emotionally. This would be the kind of insect that most of us would step on so as to get rid of a necessary nuisance.

This essay will explore the evolution of Grete from being a shy and dependent girl to a woman of nubile maturity who is ready to take the reins of independence. Grete's evolution parallels that of Gregor's, except in the opposite direction. Her role becomes more prominent. Another aspect of Grete's role in the narrative can also been seen from the perspective of how her feelings towards Gregor evolves: from that of a caretaker of her brother who has sympathy for the state her brother is in to one where she refuses to recognize even the slightest trace of human-ness in her brother, objectifying him several times by referring to Gregor as "it." As this depiction will develop, Grete's reaction to Gregor's metamorphosis can also be seen from the perspective of the stages of grief. The issues of denial and acceptance will be explored in depth.

An exploration of Gregor's relationships with his sister, mother and father are really a metamorphosis of these relationships: what were these relationships like before Gregor turned into a bug? How did these relationships change over time? What were the relationships at the end? How did Gregor's metamorphosis affect metamorphoses in his sister, mother and father?

Consider then the narrative of Metamorphosis from Grete's perspective. As a sister who is constantly on the look out for her brother, making sure that he is well when he travels for work, makes sure he is up early in the morning, and brings him breakfast. One morning Grete visits her brother's room and finds out that he has turned into an insect. Her first reaction is not one of revulsion but of suspension of belief. She reflexively shuts the door. It is obvious that she recognizes that this is indeed her brother Gregor. Therefore, her first instinct is not to destroy the insect. Thought Kafka does not explicitly mention this, it is possible that Gregor retains some human features. From Gregor Samsa's perspective, we know that he retains the emotional and mental faculties of a human. He wakes up knowing that he needs to get to work to take care of some pending issues, except he is unable to do so because like all insects when forced upon their backs, he cannot right himself up, and there he remains clawing at the air with his limbs that have now mysteriously gone from four to six.

In exploring Grete's perspective from the stages of grief, her act of shutting the door by reflex is very similar to the first stage of grieving, denial. This is the lack of acceptance on the part of the bereaved, who hope that the news of sadness will go away, as if it never happened or is part of a night mare that will go away as soon as the person dreaming wakes up. Grete cannot bring herself to believe that her brother is now turned into an insect.

This marks the beginning of an emotional metamorphosis on the part of Grete. Her first instinct is to take care of her brother. She continues to bring him his meals and care for him. Prior to the "metamorphosis" Gregor was the breadwinner of the family; everything revolved around Gregor. Perhaps, also as part of the denial process, Grete cannot bring herself to disassociate from letting Gregor be the main part of her life. After all, wasn't it Gregor who was the only one in the family who recognized Grete's talent for playing the violin and was saving money to send her to the Conservatory? Grete realizes that Gregor, as most insects do, likes to crawl up and down walls and seeks only the corners and sides of walls. So she makes sure that his path around his room is not impeded by furniture.

As time goes by however, Grete realizes that her brother is not going to change and that her priorities lie elsewhere. In keeping with her lack of focus in her own life and dependence on Gregor, finding herself is also part of the evolution and metamorphosis. Indeed, the entire family's change in attitude towards Gregor is a study in contrasts.

Grete now realizes that Gregor is no use to the family. Her changing attitude is first reflected in the fact that rather than bring Gregor food that he is used to, she brings him meals of leftovers that would easily have been garbage. From ensuring that the furniture does not impede Gregor's crawling along the walls of his room. She uses Gregor's room as a dumping ground for unused furniture.

She is constantly embarrassed to see Gregor. The one instance that shatters any illusions that Gregor has of any one in his family, and especially Grete, having any sympathy towards him is when he tries to crawl into the living room as Grete gives the three boarders an impromptu violin recital. Gregor, who has paid for Grete's music lessons, is struck by nostalgia on hearing the strains of the violin music. The boarders see Gregor and are filled with revulsion. They leave for their individual rooms. Grete shares not only their revulsion, but she finally vents out her pent up frustration of Gregor's very existence. She would rather see him gone. Her life will move on only if Gregor dies. Symbolically, her dropping of the violin (which presumably breaks) indicates that Grete has washed her hands of anything to do with Gregor. She will perhaps, never play the violin again. She is not interested in even pursuing their shared dream of pursuing a music career by joining the Conservatory of music. The pursuit of arts involves a deviation of reality. Gregor's metamorphosis has brought about the realization of reality in the household. This new reality does not involve Gregor and anything that he stood for. Grete is the essence of this evolution.

From Grete's perspective the narrative would be very different. She would initially be afraid for her brother. She would be sympathetic to his state. She would feel the need to care for her brother as one would care for a sick individual after a horrible, deforming accident. But as time passed, the recognition that Gregor is not a human would set in. The narrative would depart from Gregor's perspective. It would not include Gregor's thoughts, his feelings and emotions, which he retains as human-like till the moment of his death. We would see graphic depictions of Grete's frustration at the fact that Gregor's changes were permanent. Her frustration that the father was unsympathetic and the mother did not have any original thoughts of actions as to what was to be done with Gregor.

These feelings would soon change to hatred and revulsion and a need to get rid of Gregor. The narrative would include all of this. It would also depict Grete's changing sense of responsibility and the need to be there for her parents and the slow by inexorable removal of dependence on Gregor.