Gregor Samsa wakes up one day to find himself turned into a
vermin without knowing how and why. In such a state, he worries about his family’s finances and thinks about what would happen to them once he
gets axed from his job. He has been working hard to pay off his parents’ debts and has had to endure his inconsiderate boss because of this fact. At first, his
family tries to attend to his needs, but all the while his parents are unable to stand the monster that he had become. His sister Greta however remains loyal and being moved by pity over his brother’s state, but her benevolence does not stretch to the end of the
story where she herself resolves to put an end to the madness that had gripped the family. Contrary to what his family thinks, his emotional and mental faculties are still functioning as before. Though trapped inside the body of a vermin, he was constantly hurt and troubled by his family’s indifference, if not disgust upon his present condition. Shut away in his prison, Gregor struggled with feelings of loneliness, constant longing for
love and care, and more than pitying himself, he felt sorry for his family because he could not do anything to help them. His hideous form made it impossible for him to redeem his life and his family’s love, but Gregor’s affection for them somehow remained to the end despite it all.
His father mindlessly hurts the vermin that is his son which injury will later on cause his death. Towards the end, Gregor is moved by the music made by her sister, forgets his limitations and gets his family into trouble. The family finally decides to get rid of him after Greta proposes the idea.
Gregor, with his final act of love accepts
death as the pill for his family’s suffering. One day, since he was found by the housekeeper lifeless and still, the family finds a reason to celebrate. Greatly elated upon his death, they resolve to move in to another house and start anew. The story ends with the doting
parents smiling fondly at their beautiful daughter and imagining the bright future awaiting her.
The story is a gripping tale, both in its literal signification and the clandestine content that it leaves open for its reader to explore. Whatever interpretation it may excite upon the reader, it shall remain a potent work of sublime art.
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