Metamorphosis: Frank Kafka

This was an entertaining, yet heartbreaking read. A young man, Gregor, wakes up one morning to find he has turned into a beetle. (I originally pictured a cockroach, but the maid calls him a dung beetle.) We learn he is the sole provider for his family and is stressed about getting to work on time, but since he is in bed on his back he has trouble getting up. Eventually his family comes to the room to rouse him, but he had locked his door, then his boss shows up. Once Gregor finds the strength to get up he shocks and horrifies all waiting by the door for him. His father shoos him back into his room and he scraps his side. He remains injured and locked in his room until his sister leaves him some milk and bread, but now he doesn’t like milk. We learn Gregor had intended to send his sister to the conservatoy since she was a violinist that was going to be her Christmas gift. We also learn he had a girlfriend, but didn't court her too quickly because his family needed him to provide for them since his dad had been out of work for 5 years and in debt. Once Gregor doesn't have money coming in we learn Gregor’s father had been keeping a stash of money, some from his previous job, and some from Gregor’s earnings. Gregor has mixed feelings because he could have left his job earlier if he had that money since he was paying off his family's debt, but then again they would have something to live on now. Eventually each family member gets a job and Gregor seems to be forgotten about. The food he is brought he doesn't enjoy or eat and he becomes thin. His father threw an apple at him when he wandered out of his room and it became imbedded and infected in his back. the family takes on renters and once they see Gregor leave, but his family gets outraged and his sister says they need to dispose of him, he is no longer their brother, if he were he would have left the place and let them live in peace. It seemed as though as soon as they realized he was never going to be human again, he disgusted them and they forgot all about what he had done for them. He does die that night whether from infection, starvation or a broken heart we do not know. When the family finds him, they are delighted and call off sick for the day and head downtown to celebrate. The physical injuries are all inflicted by his father, hurting himself getting back into the room, the apple stuck in his back, but the most painful to gregor seems to be the verbal abuse from his sister whom he was very close.