Change In Gregor's Room example essay topic

Throughout The Metamorphosis, there are many scenes in which Gregor's father acts very aggressive and violent. However, there are other scenes where Gregor's father seems lazy and weak. Gregor's father changes throughout the whole book, but for the most part, the author portrays him as a power-hungry, and lethargic tyrant. During the countless hours in his room, Gregor recalled the days before his metamorphosis.

"Now his father was still healthy, certainly, but he was an old man who had not worked during these five years... he had gained a lot of weight and as a result had become fairly sluggish". (Kafka pg. 28) After Gregor's transformation, there were many incidents where Gregor's father was described as being more aggressive and intimidating. Above the high stiff collar of the jacket his heavy chin protruded; under his bushy eyebrows his black eyes darted bright, piercing glances; his usually rumpled hair was combed flat, with a scrupulously exact, gleaming part. He threw his cap... in an arc across the entire room onto the couch, and with the tails of his long uniform jacket slapped back, his hands in his pant pockets, went for Gregor with a sullen look on his face. (Kafka pg. 38) Gregor had been attacked many times by his father in this book. Each time, his father acts just as violent, using many tools like apples and canes as weapons.

Despite his father trying to act as a tyrant of the house, he also places a burden upon the family at times. "As soon as the clock struck ten, his mother tried to awaken his father with soft encouraging words... not until the women lifted him up under his arms did he open his eyes... leaning on the two women, he could get u laboriously, as if he were the greatest weight on himself, and let the women lead him to the door, where, shrugging them off, he would proceed independently". (Kafka pg. 41-42) As you can see, the author's attitude towards Gregor's father makes him appear as an angry, and lethargic character in this book. Gregor's attitude fluctuated during The Metamorphosis. There were times where he felt completely content with his life; he thought of nothing but the present, and how smoothly life was running.

However, during the middle of the book, Gregor does through periods of deep boredom and depression. By the end of the book, Gregor's depression had progressed to a state even beyond the deepest depression; as a result, he gave up on life. In the first scene, Gregor's only worry in life was that he was late for work. Although he has not paid much attention to his new body form, he was in a good mood. "In fact, Gregor felt fine, with the exception of his drowsiness, which he was really unnecessary after sleeping so late, and he had a ravenous appetite".

(Kafka pg. 5) Later on in the book, Gregor became bored with his isolation. He was separated from society by the walls around him. He started to find different things to do, which kept him busy for the majority of the time he spent in his room. "He could hardly put up with just lying still even at night; eating soon stopped giving him the slightest pleasure, so, as a distraction, he adopted the habit of crawling crisscross over the walls and the ceiling". (Kafka pg. 31) This quote describes how Gregor tries new things to keep him busy. This boredom soon gets worse, and by the end of the novel, he is completely depressed.

He had pains, of course, throughout his whole body, but it seemed to him that they were gradually getting fainter and fainter and would finally go away altogether... he remained in this state of empty and peaceful reflection until the tower clock struck three in the morning. He still saw that outside the window everything was beginning to grow light. Then, without his consent, his head sank down to the floor, and from his nostrils streamed his last week breath. (Kafka pg. 54) This last scene of Gregor's life showed the result of his days of isolation, boredom and later on depression.

Gregor's optimistic and content mood from the first scene slowly declined down into the lowest state of depression he experienced. The setting during the majority of the book, The Metamorphosis is Gregor's room. Throughout the book, it is evident to see how the condition of the room is reflected upon Gregor's mood. In the beginning of the novel, Gregor describes his room.

"His room, a regular human room, only a little on the small side lay quiet between the four familiar walls. Over the table, on which an unpacked line of fabric samples was all spread out... hung the picture he had recently cut out of a glossy magazine and lodged in a pretty guilt frame". (Kafka pg. 3) Gregor's small room is where he is confined throughout this whole novel. Grete was in charge of cleaning his room, and giving Gregor food. Everyday, she came in, gave him food and picked up things here and there. One day, after she realized Gregor may have wanted some more room to climb on the walls, she and her mother decided to clear out the furniture.

But his sister unfortunately had a different opinion... and so her mother's advice was now sufficient reason for her to insist, not only on the removal of the chest of drawers and the desk, which was she had been planning at first, but also on the removal of all the furniture with the exception of the indispensable couch... she had in fact noticed that Gregor needed plenty of room to crawl around in; and on the other hand, as best she could tell, he never used the furniture at all. (Kafka pg. 34) Shortly after this change in Gregor's room, Grete is forced to work. Because of this, Gregor is neglected. Grete continues to serve him food, but only bothers to open the windows while she dumps the untouched food into the garbage. The cleaning ladies were mostly afraid to enter in a room that was occupied by such a monster. Thus, the room became dirty and dusty by the end of the book.

"Streaks of dirt ran along the walls, fluffs of dust and filth lay here and there on the floor. At first, whenever his sister came in, Gregor would place himself in those corners which were particularly offending, meaning by his position is a sense to reproach her". (Kafka pg. 43) When Gregor's room had began to show signs of neglect, Gregor also began to feel more depressed and isolated. It is interesting to see how the setting ties in with Gregor's attitude.

In the beginning, Gregor was content with his life. As his room became filthier, he became more depressed. Finally, when Gregor dies, the setting changes as the family goes out to enjoy a nice day in the sun. The nice outdoors environment tied in with the jovial mood the family was experiencing. The character that may have undergone the most change in The Metamorphosis is Grete. In the beginning of the book, she was still very much a child.

During the first scene when the manager is at the house, Grete was not handling the commotion well. "In the room on the left there was an embarrassing silence; in the room on the right his sister began to sob. Why didn't his sister go in to the others? She had probably just got out of bed and not even started to get dressed".

The level of Grete's immaturity did not change a considerable amount, even halfway through the book. And was his sister now supposed to work-who for all her seventeen years was still a child and whom it would be such a pity to deprive of the life she had led until now, which consisted of wearing pretty clothes, sleeping later, helping in the house, enjoying a few modest amusements, and above all playing the violin? (Kafka pg. 29) Grete changed suddenly after she started working. She was faced with responsibility for the first time in her life.

Although she started to neglect Gregor, she became an independent person. By the end of the book, Grete had transformed into an adult. "As they watched their daughter getting livelier and livelier, that lately, in spite of all the troubles which had turned her cheeks pale, she had blossomed into a good-looking, shapely girl... they thought it would soon be time, too, to find her a good husband". In conclusion, unlike Gregor's metamorphosis, we were able to see Grete's metamorphosis throughout the whole novel. We saw how she cried in the first scene like a baby, but soon started to mature after she began to work. The "hero" of The Metamorphosis is Gregor Sams a.

I believe he is the hero because he is the only innocent character in The Metamorphosis. Also, to a certain extent, I believe he handled life as a bug pretty well. Gregor was the only character who did not do anything wrong in the book. The reader sympathizes with him because he had no apparent control over his metamorphosis. What surprised me was how the family betrayed their own family member. They may have done the best they could living with a giant bug, but I believe that was not enough.

Gregor financially supported the family while they sat home on the couch. I believe the least they could have done was to come in and sweep his floor once in a while. Also, if he paid for all the food that was placed on the table when the family could not work, why didn't feed him some decent food while he could not work. The blame for his unfortunate death of should be placed upon the family.

The family had never respected Gregor for his love, but only for his money. In addition to being the only innocent character in the book, I believe Gregor handled this change of lifestyle pretty well. Although he died a depressed bug, I cannot help but place myself in his position. My absolute hate for bugs would drive me crazy if I woke up to be one. I don't think I would have survived life as a bug for nearly as long as Gregor did because I would have jumped out the window that first morning. However, Gregor experienced life as a bug with an open mind.

He climbed on the walls, hung from the ceiling, and for a while he was proud. Although Gregor did not die as a happy man or bug, he is certainly the hero. He did not betray anyone in this book, and I do not believe it was his fault that he woke up as a bug. In this case of Gregor's life, I believe ignorance is bliss. If Gregor had realized to what degree his transformation would affect his life when he woke up the first morning, a different attitude would have affected the way he enjoyed his short life.