Notes: The Metamorphosis — Franz Kafka

Part I: The Discovery

• The Transformation: Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up to find himself transformed into a “monstrous vermin.”
• Anxiety Over Work: Despite his condition, his primary fear is being late for his train. He is the sole financial provider for his parents and sister.
• The Reveal: His office manager arrives to check on him. When Gregor finally opens the door, the manager flees in horror, and his mother collapses.
• The First Injury: His father violently herds Gregor back into his room using a cane and a newspaper, causing Gregor to bleed as he is shoved through the narrow doorway.

Part II: Adaptation and Isolation

• Grete’s Care: His sister, Grete, becomes his sole caretaker. She discovers he now prefers eating rotting scraps over fresh food.
• Losing Humanity: Grete and their mother decide to remove the furniture from Gregor’s room to give him more space to crawl. Gregor feels his humanity slipping away and tries to “save” a framed picture of a woman in furs.
• The Apple Incident: Seeing Gregor out of his room, his mother faints. His father, misinterpreting the situation, chases Gregor and pelts him with apples. One apple lodges in Gregor’s back and is left there to rot, causing a severe, permanent wound.

Part III: The Decline and Aftermath

• Financial Strain: The family’s finances dwindle. They take in three boarders to make money, and Gregor’s room becomes a storage area for trash and old furniture.
• The Violin Performance: Drawn by the sound of Grete playing the violin for the boarders, a dusty and weakened Gregor creeps into the living room.
• The Breaking Point: The boarders are horrified and refuse to pay. Grete, exhausted by the burden, declares that the family must get rid of “it,” claiming that if it were truly Gregor, he would have left them long ago to spare them suffering.
• Gregor’s Death: Hearing this, Gregor retreats to his room. He dies that night, feeling a sense of love and “empty peace” toward his family.
• Renewal: The family feels an immediate sense of relief. They take a day off, go for a walk in the countryside, and realize that Grete has grown into a beautiful woman with a bright future ahead of her.