For example, his parents feel no paternal instincts toward their son at all - his mother "fell on the floor" (Kafka 20) at the sight of and his father "covered his eyes with his hands and wept until his great chest heaved" (20). His sister also allows his appearance to get the best of her as she tries to convince the family to "try to get rid of it" (48). Here we see how all of the characters in this story have a skewed perception of reality because they have a hard time remembering what is actually real.
Gregor's duties and responsibilities are severely affected by his transformation and that causes him to come to some serious realizations about his life and his family. First, he begins to understand that he is nothing more than a source of income for his family. He thinks he should "provide for my parents and sister" (21). Even though he grasps this notion, he still feels obligated to fulfill his obligations. We read that he wants to work although getting out of bed "proved too difficult to move" (14). His mother still intends on calling where Gregor works because the Samsas cannot afford for Gregor to miss work. Gregor's reality was shaped by his job and his family and how those two operated together. When one element was taken out of the equation, there was not much for Gregor to believe in and he realizes that his idea of what is real is greatly misshapen.
Gregor's family moves through several stages in the event of their realization of what is imagined and what is real. They are in shock for awhile, then they become frustrated with him and the burden he makes for them, and, finally, they...
Through bizarre circumstances, Kafka illustrates the complexity of family. The commentary is not a good one because even those whom we are the closest too can be affected by the slightest change. Gregor deserved more than what his family gave him in the end. Their reality of a giant cockroach in the bedroom was dismissed when the family takes a day for "resting and going for a stroll," (Kafka 777) when all is said and done. It should be noted that while Grete asserts that Gregor "persecutes" (49) his family, it is actually the family that persecutes Greogor. Here we see how the word family can mean different things to different people.
Hamlet and "The Metamorphosis" illustrate how society shapes our thinking and action more than we want to admit. We are never truly aware of how we are going to be affected by something until it happens - and then, depending on our state of mind, friends, family, and surroundings, society and its conventions can affect us drastically. Hamlet and Gregor are two example of seemingly stable men that are living a good life.
While they do nothing to upset their world, some outside force throws them a curve ball, altering their realities. From them, we learn how importance appearances are and how they can be deceiving.
Works Cited
Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction R.V. Cassill, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1981. pp. 740-78.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Barbara Mowat, ed. New York: Washington Square Press. 1992.
