Monday, March 18, 2019

Which detail from the metamorphosis best supports the idea that Gregor’s transformation is more than just physical?

In the first chapter of The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa reacts to his transformation largely in terms of the effect it might have on his doing his job and only slightly in terms of the physical inconvenience. The other characters will be horrified by his appearance when they finally gain entry to his room and see him. Gregor, in contrast, is remarkably accepting of the physical aspect of the transformation.
As he realizes that his alarm did not go off and he will probably be late for work, Gregor thinks about packing the samples into the case; he does not mention that he would be unable to do so or to carry the case. He briefly considers whether he is in fact ill: could he call in sick? Will the company doctor conclude, as he always does, that Gregor is “completely healthy but work-shy”? In the imagined conversation, Gregor is concerned about his boss’s accusations of his father, as Gregor’s unacceptable behavior reflects on him. At the same time, he thinks long and hard about the positive side of not having to do his job, which has many disadvantages, including “fleeting human contact that is ever-changing, never lasting, and never expected to be genuine.” Kafka makes it clear that Gregor’s transformation is an extension of his existing role as an unappreciated social misfit.

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