Selfishness of the family in The Metamorphosis
In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka introduces us to a family supported by the son, Gregor. Once Gregor is “transformed,” the responsibility is placed on the family, which soon grows tired of the burden in taking care of Gregor. Kafka shows us that although there are the few kind people in the world who are willing to go to the ends of the earth to help the ones they care about, there remains the majority of people who, although they may seem to enjoy the responsibility of taking care of others, they soon show their selfishness and desire for everything to be done for them. ... Gregor was “gladly” taking care of the three members of his family plus himself (29). ... His idea tells us that he did not care about the material objects, but more humbly, the happiness of his family. ... He was still eager to go about his daily routine and the reader can tell by his actions that he enjoyed every minute that he spent taking care of his family, for he saw the joy in their happiness. Unfortunately, after Gregor had changed, he was unable to fulfill the family’s needs and desires and had to depend on them to do what he had once did. ... His family had to make some slight adjustments, such as finding jobs, having three men move in and pay rent, take care of Gregor, cut back on their entertainment, and cut back on everything else that was not a necessity. ... By viewing this characteristic, we see that she is a little different from the rest of the family because she enjoyed taking care of Gregor and tried to “soften” the pain “of the situation as much as possible” and the reader feels excited that he has someone when he is in such a lonely state (31).