2025/09/01 Metamorphosis
Imagine waking up one morning to a strange surprise that you have turned into an insect. Our protagonist in today’s story – Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, finds himself in this very situation. He spends so much time on the road that he becomes disconnected from the world around him and struggles to form close relationships. Despite this, he works very hard to provide for his family and pay off large debts that were taken for his sake.
One morning, Gregor wakes up to find himself transformed into a huge bug. He notices his “brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches.” This strange event changes his life and his family’s dynamics dramatically. He can’t work anymore, which makes his family see him differently. His mother is horrified and hopes the condition is temporary. His father is angry and reacts violently by throwing things at him and locking him in his room. His sister Grete, at first, is kind and takes care of him by bringing food and cleaning his room without looking at him.
As Gregor tries to adapt to his new form, he becomes more isolated. He finds comfort in dark spaces and starts to prefer rotten food. Even though his body has changed, he still has human emotions but can’t talk to his family, making him feel even more alone. He listens to their conversations and feels guilty and ashamed for not being able to support them. Over time, his family grows tired of him and sees him as a burden. His father throws apples at him, injuring him, and the family starts to think about getting rid of him. Grete, who used to care for him, now says they have to get rid of him, and the father agrees. Gregor realizes that he’s become a burden and decides to stay away from them. “Whenever they began to talk of the need to earn money, Gregor became quite hot with shame and regret.”
Even when he’s changed into a bug, he’s concerned about being late for work. When his boss comes to see him, he is horrified by Gregor’s new form and can’t understand him, making him feel more isolated. His mother faints and his father becomes violent. Despite this, Grete tries to help by removing furniture to give him more space, but this makes him feel like his humanity and dignity are stripped away.
As time passes, Gregor becomes sicker, and his desire to eat fades. The family, struggling to adapt to their new life, starts confronting him more. His family decides to rent rooms to lodgers to help with the finances. His room becomes filled with junk the three lodgers move in, making him feel even more isolated. One day, he reveals himself to the lodgers, who get scared and decide to leave without paying rent. His sister insists that Gregor has to go. When he hears her say hurtful things about him, he realizes the impact his presence has on the family and decides to disappear for their sake.
He decides to hide in his room forever. When Gregor dies, the family doesn’t mourn his death. They see it as a relief. Mr. Samsa gets rid of Gregor’s body and kicks out the new lodgers. The family then begins a new life, focusing on their jobs and planning for Grete’s future. This story isn’t just about Gregor’s physical transformation but also about the emotional and psychological changes the family goes through as they adapt to their new reality and eventually move on without him.
An adaptation of the novella The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.
Adapted by Prgati Singh.