The Metamorphosis : Summary

Background

Franz Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung) in 1912, and it was first published in 1915. The inspiration for this work came from Kafka’s personal life, filled with sorrow and inner conflict. In particular, his strained relationship with his father and his experiences of alienation in modern urban life became the central foundation of the novella. His only close bond was with his sister Ottla. Kafka himself worked in an insurance office in Prague, where he constantly felt suffocated. The pressures of life, his sense of self-devaluation, and the authoritarian dominance of his father in the family are reflected in his writing. Gregor Samsa’s sudden transformation into an insect is essentially a symbol of modern man’s loneliness, helplessness, and dehumanization. In the story, although Gregor’s family initially shows some sympathy, they gradually shift to neglect, disgust, and rejection. This reflects both the fragility of family ties and the cruel reality of society.

In this novella, Kafka demonstrates the features of absurdist and modernist literature. The story combines ordinary reality with irrational events. Gregor’s transformation into an insect is absurd, yet his family and society’s reaction to it is frighteningly realistic. The Metamorphosis is divided into three main parts: (1) Transformation and initial reaction, (2) Alienation and neglect by family, (3) Death and erasure. Each part explores existential crises and the mechanisms of social oppression in a new way. Since its publication, it has been recognized as one of the most influential works of the 20th century. The word “Kafkaesque” has come to signify a literary and cultural mode marked by complexity, confusion, and helplessness. Even today, The Metamorphosis is considered not just a horrific tale but a profound exploration of human existence, family, society, and the ultimate truth of life.

Part I – Transformation (Summary 

Gregor’s Strange Transformation: One morning, Gregor Samsa suddenly wakes up from sleep and discovers a strange and horrifying truth. He is no longer human. His body has completely changed. He has been transformed into a giant insect or bug. Gregor’s body is covered with a hard, unnatural shell. His belly is round and divided into parts. It is so heavy that he struggles to turn over in bed. His legs are numerous, thin, hairy, and move in odd, jerky motions. They hit helplessly here and there, as if unable to adjust to their own body.

At first, Gregor thinks he might be having a terrible dream. He rubs his eyes and tries to go back to sleep. But the weight of his body makes it impossible. He quickly realizes that this is no dream but a cruel reality. Gregor’s identity was that of a traveling salesman. Every morning, he had to take the train to different towns, showing and selling textile samples. The job was monotonous, exhausting, and placed a huge burden on his life. Often, he sat in his room copying contracts, while looking out the window, he would see other salesmen eating breakfast comfortably in hotels. Their lives seemed easy, while Gregor’s was filled with endless hardship.

Gregor reflects that if it were not for his parents’ debts, he would have quit this job long ago. His work was utterly joyless, yet he sacrificed himself in order to sustain his family and pay off their obligations. This moment is not just about a physical transformation, but also symbolically reveals Gregor’s spiritual and social condition. He had already become, in society’s eyes, a mere tool, a slave to labor. Kafka shows here that Gregor’s metamorphosis into an insect is actually the ultimate expression of his dehumanized existence and enslavement.

Alarm Clock and the Distorted Voice: At the very start of the morning, Gregor Samsa faced the strangest problem of his life. Every morning, he would wake up and catch a train for work. But that morning, though his alarm clock rang loudly, Gregor could not get up. Looking at the clock, he realized a terrifying truth; he was terribly late, and the train had already departed. Gregor immediately thought that the Chief Clerk from his office would soon come to his house to inquire. The office rules were extremely strict. In five years, Gregor had never taken a single day off, not even when he was sick. So this sudden delay would definitely seem suspicious.

Fear and anxiety began to consume Gregor. He thought that if the Chief Clerk came and saw that he had not gone to work, there would be complaints against him at the office. He might even lose his job. Gregor panicked because he knew the responsibility of repaying the family’s debts rested entirely on his shoulders. At that moment, from outside his room, Mrs. Samsa, Gregor’s mother, called out to him. Her voice carried affection but also worry. She asked why Gregor was taking so long and whether he was sick.

Gregor replied, but hearing his own voice, he was horrified. His natural human voice was gone. Instead, it had turned into a harsh, strange sound, something like the noise of an insect. Gregor was frightened, realizing that some dreadful change had already taken place. The strange thing was that his mother did not fully notice the abnormality in his voice. She was simply satisfied that Gregor had responded. But in Gregor’s mind, the truth was now clear: he was no longer as he once was. Something unfamiliar had taken root inside his body, a transformation from which he could never escape.

Family’s Anxiety and the Arrival of the Chief Clerk: Hearing no movement from Gregor, worry began to grow within the family. First, Mr. Samsa, a stern man by nature, came and stood outside the door. In a firm voice, he asked his son why he still had not come out of his room. His tone carried more anger than concern. Then came Grete, Gregor’s younger sister. By nature, she was sympathetic toward her brother. Her voice was filled with worry. In a gentle tone, she asked whether Gregor needed anything or if he was ill. Grete truly tried to understand what was happening, but she could not make sense of it.

At this point, neither Gregor’s parents nor his sister knew the terrifying change that had occurred inside the room. They assumed Gregor was either sick or had overslept. But Gregor knew the situation had gone far beyond his imagination. Just then, the Chief Clerk from his office arrived at the house. He was an authoritative and suspicious man. His anger and cold behavior reflected the harsh discipline of the office.

The Chief Clerk was furious about Gregor’s delay. He began to say that after so many years of service, such negligence was unacceptable. He even hinted that perhaps Gregor was not managing the office’s money properly or was failing in his responsibilities. Gregor was horrified at this accusation. He knew his work was hard, but he had never once been negligent. To save his family and pay off their debts, he had labored tirelessly. The Chief Clerk’s words broke his heart.

Gregor wished to explain to the Chief Clerk that, despite the dreadful transformation of his body, his sense of duty was still intact. He wanted to open the door and clarify his situation. But his voice was distorted, his body helpless, and he had to use his mouth to turn the key. This scene filled the whole family with deep anxiety. They began to realize that Gregor’s delay was not just a simple matter of being late; behind it lay a horrifying truth. And the arrival of the Chief Clerk seemed like a dreadful signal that Gregor’s inhuman transformation was about to be exposed to society.

Opening the Door and the Horrifying Revelation: At last, Gregor Samsa gathered the determination to try to open the door. It was impossible for him to turn the key with his hands or feet. So, he began to twist it with his mouth. His jaws were strong, but since he had no teeth, it was an extremely difficult task. After immense pain and repeated failed attempts, he finally managed to unlock the door.

As soon as the door opened, the dreadful hidden truth was revealed. Seeing Gregor’s transformed body, the Chief Clerk screamed in terror. He stepped back several paces in fear, almost ready to flee through the doorway. Gregor’s mother, Mrs. Samsa, upon seeing her son’s inhuman appearance, broke down completely. She cried out loudly and then fainted, collapsing onto the floor. Her tender maternal affection was instantly replaced by fear.

Meanwhile, Mr. Samsa was at first utterly bewildered. He could not believe that his son had turned into such a monstrous insect. But within moments, his shock turned into anger. Instead of trying to understand his son, he began to regard him as a disgrace to both family and society. Gregor’s mind was filled with confusion. He realized that his family would no longer accept him as normal, nor would his office allow him to keep his job. Yet, a sense of responsibility still stirred within him. He wanted to explain to the Chief Clerk that, despite his physical condition, he still wished to fulfill his duties.

But no one could understand Gregor’s words. From his mouth came only harsh, strange sounds, not human language, but the noises of an insect. Without waiting to hear anything more, the Chief Clerk fled in terror. This moment marked a turning point in Gregor’s life. Here, both his family and his office rejected him. His mother lay unconscious, his father was enraged, his sister stood frozen in fear, and the office’s representative, the Chief Clerk, had run away. Gregor was now utterly alone, isolated from his family, from society, from the world.

Father’s Attack and Gregor’s Imprisonment: At this moment, Mr. Samsa, Gregor’s father, took control of the situation. But instead of calming things down, he burst out in uncontrollable anger. He believed that Gregor had now become a disgrace and a danger to the family. The Chief Clerk would report everything back to the office, and their lives would collapse. Mr. Samsa picked up the walking stick left behind by the Chief Clerk and a newspaper. He used these like weapons, forcefully driving Gregor back. His eyes were filled with rage, and his face with disgust.

Gregor, who was still seeing his mother lying unconscious and his sister Grete staring at him in fear, began to retreat slowly. But his body was heavy and moved in strange, awkward ways. His father shoved him violently. Gregor backed up against the doorframe. Suddenly, his body got stuck in the narrow gap of the door. His hard shell scraped against the sharp wooden edges. Wounds opened on his back. Blood began to flow. Gregor trembled in pain. Tears came to his eyes, but nothing came out of his mouth. Mrs. Samsa wept on the floor. Grete stood at a distance, too frightened to act. Mr. Samsa mercilessly shoved Gregor again and again until he was finally forced all the way back into his room. At last, he slammed the door shut. Outside the door, a sudden silence fell over the house.

Gregor lay bleeding on the floor of his room. He realized that his family would never accept him again. No one remembered his sacrifices or his responsibilities. To them, he was nothing but a burden, a source of fear. Kafka paints this scene not only as Gregor’s physical injury but also as a symbol of his psychological imprisonment. He was not only trapped in his room but also completely cut off from recognition by his family and society.

The Former Maid had already left her job soon after Gregor’s transformation, unable to bear the horror. After her departure, the family hired someone new, Charwoman (the old cleaning woman). Unlike the former maid, she was not afraid of Gregor. Instead, she would look at him with curiosity, sometimes even making jokes about him.

(In this first section, Gregor Samsa’s transformation is revealed as a vast symbol. It reflects his mental state, his monotonous job, his burden of responsibility toward his family, and his alienation from society. Mr. Samsa embodies authority and rage. Mrs. Samsa is sorrowful but helpless. Grete is initially sympathetic. The Chief Clerk represents the cruel machinery of society and the office. In this part, we see Gregor’s suffering, the family’s and society’s reaction, and the beginning of a horrifying reality. Kafka shows that when a man undergoes a sudden change, society does not understand him but rejects him instead. Gregor’s return to his room marks the beginning of his isolated life.)

Part II – Alienation

At the end of Part I, we saw that Gregor Samsa had been transformed into a monstrous insect. His family was overwhelmed with fear, grief, and shame. Now begins the chapter of alienation.

The Family’s New Life: After his transformation, Gregor Samsa is now completely confined to his room. Once, he had been the main breadwinner of the family. Every morning, he woke up early, caught the train to distant towns, sold textile samples, and with his hard-earned money supported the entire household. But now he is helpless. His body has turned into that of an insect, and he can no longer go outside. The door to his room always remains shut. As a result, the family’s main source of income has disappeared. This new situation shakes the household deeply. They had once been entirely dependent on Gregor’s earnings. Now they are forced to work for themselves.

• Mr. Samsa: Previously, he did not work. He lived an idle life, relying on Gregor’s income. But after Gregor became incapacitated, he was compelled to return to work. He took a job at a bank. Every morning, he left for the office and returned in the evening exhausted. Gregor observes that his father is no longer dependent but has once again assumed the responsibility of supporting the family.
• Mrs. Samsa: Although a caring mother, she now had to step outside her role as a housewife. She began sewing at home, earning a small income by stitching clothes. This left her physically drained, and her health worsened, yet she continued the work out of necessity.
• Grete Samsa: Once a carefree young girl, she too was forced to contribute to the household. She took a job as a salesgirl. Every morning, she went out and returned at night, worn out. At first, she was attentive and caring toward her brother Gregor, but gradually, under the weight of her own work, she grew weary.

This transformation in the family created pressure and restlessness. Each member became occupied with their own responsibilities. Their daily lives leaned toward forgetting Gregor’s condition. Gregor realizes that his existence has now become unnecessary to them, perhaps even burdensome.

Kafka here shows how, when a family loses its primary provider, they are compelled to adapt to a new way of life. And Gregor’s confinement symbolizes not only his physical imprisonment but also his emotional and relational alienation from his family.

Grete’s Care: After Gregor Samsa’s transformation, the attitudes of his family members changed in different ways. His father, Mr. Samsa, and his mother, Mrs. Samsa, were too frightened or disgusted to enter his room. They would check on him from a distance but never dared to face him directly. During this time, only his sister, Grete Samsa, stood by him. Grete was a young girl, sensitive and compassionate toward Gregor. She took it upon herself as a responsibility to care for her brother. Every day, she would quietly bring food into his room so that their parents would not notice or feel uncomfortable. In this way, Grete became the sole bridge of communication between Gregor and the family.

However, Gregor’s eating habits changed completely after his transformation. Once, his favorite food had been milk. He used to drink it with great pleasure. Thinking this would make him happy, Grete initially brought him a bowl of milk. But when Gregor tried to drink it, he immediately recoiled in disgust. His body had changed, and he could no longer tolerate human food. Instead, Gregor now desired a different kind of nourishment; rotten, leftover, discarded scraps of food seemed delicious to him. It was Grete who first noticed this. From then on, she regularly placed such food in Gregor’s room.

This part reveals two sides of Grete’s character:

• Her compassion- She was the only family member who tried to understand Gregor’s condition.
• Her sense of responsibility – She refused to leave him abandoned, instead feeding him daily and trying to keep his room clean.

Gregor, too, realized that Grete had not forgotten him. Her care became a kind of emotional comfort for him. Although over time, Grete’s compassion would fade under the weight of exhaustion and responsibility, in the beginning, she was Gregor’s only support. Kafka shows here how, within a family, someone may initially step forward with love and duty, but such compassion often fails to endure. Grete’s early care for Gregor was nothing more than a brief ray of human kindness.

Gregor’s Loneliness: After his transformation, Gregor Samsa gradually realized that his life was no longer the same. He was now confined to his room. Every day, he sat by the window, staring out at the world beyond. The movement of people, the color of the sky, the sounds of the street, all of it felt like a distant world to him. Gregor longed to maintain at least some connection with life outside, even if only through his eyes. But even that connection seemed out of his reach.

Gregor’s body had become heavy and sickly. He could no longer walk or move as he once had. Even the smallest movement caused him immense pain. As a result, his imprisoned life inside the room became even more unbearable. Meanwhile, the family wanted to keep him hidden. They kept the door closed so no outsider could see Gregor. Even they themselves rarely entered his room. This created even greater mental pressure on Gregor.

His room, which had once been his personal refuge, gradually became filthy. Dust gathered, dirt spread. To the family, Gregor’s room lost all importance. They no longer considered it a human’s living space. Instead, it slowly turned into a storage room. Broken objects, old furniture, and useless items piled up in Gregor’s space. Gregor noticed this change very clearly. He felt that his family was slowly growing resentful toward him. They no longer saw him as a human being, but rather as some strange, terrifying creature. Their compassion for him was fading, and this behavior deeply wounded Gregor’s heart.

Kafka, in this section, portrays the pain of Gregor’s solitude and alienation. Once, Gregor had been the pride of the family, the breadwinner and their support. Now, he was neglected, treated as an unwanted burden. His dirty, cluttered, and darkened room symbolized his deepening isolation. Gregor realized that no one wished to understand him anymore. His life no longer had meaning for his family. This realization marked the beginning of his mental breakdown.

The Mother’s Role: Gregor Samsa was spending his days confined to his room. Gradually, his movements became more insect-like. He could climb the walls and even hang from the ceiling. Seeing these changes, Mrs. Samsa one day suggested that the furniture should be removed from Gregor’s room. Her reasoning was that if the furniture were cleared out, the room would become more spacious. This would allow Gregor to move around more freely. It would be easier for him to climb the walls and ceiling. In her words, a mother’s tenderness was evident; she wanted Gregor to at least have the comfort of moving about with ease, even though she was too frightened to face his horrifying form directly.

Grete agreed with her mother’s proposal, since she too believed the room needed to be cleared and made suitable for Gregor. Yet Grete also had another worry. She thought that if the furniture were removed, Gregor might feel that the family no longer regarded him as human but had instead permanently accepted him as a creature. On the other hand, Gregor himself was deeply conflicted. He felt that as long as the furniture remained, he would still have reminders of his past life. The writing desk, the chair, the wardrobe, these objects reminded him that once he had been human, that he had worked, that he had been the family’s support. If these things were taken away, his past life would also be erased. Gregor felt a special attachment to a picture hanging on the wall, that of a lady dressed in a fur coat. To him, the picture was the last trace of his human life. He did not want it taken from him.

This scene is a striking example of Kafka’s symbolic writing. Here, the mother is shown as tender but timid. She wants to help her son, yet in truth, she has already begun to see him as an animal. Grete, though caring, is torn; within her exist both compassion and resentment. Gregor’s attachment to his furniture, especially the picture, represents his last desperate clinging to his humanity.

The Famous Incident – The Removal of Furniture: The family decided to remove the furniture from Gregor Samsa’s room. Grete and Mrs. Samsa entered the room to carry out the task. At first, they moved the smaller items: the chair, the table, and the small cabinet. The noise of furniture being dragged filled the room, and Gregor felt a deep sense of dread. He quickly crawled under the bed, terrified. To him, the family’s decision seemed like an act against him. If all the furniture were taken away, he would lose his last connection to humanity. His room would become nothing more than an empty cave, a mere animal’s lair.

Gregor was especially unwilling to lose one particular object: the picture hanging on the wall. It was an image of a woman dressed in a fur coat. To Gregor, the picture held symbolic meaning. It represented the memory of his former human life, his tastes, his emotions, his inner world. He thought that at least this picture should remain with him. So Gregor crawled out from under the bed and pressed himself against the picture, clutching it to his body as though desperately trying to preserve the last trace of his human existence.

At this moment, a dramatic scene unfolded. Mrs. Samsa saw Gregor’s distorted figure clearly for the very first time. Until then, she had never looked at her son so closely or so directly in this terrifying form. Suddenly confronted with him, she screamed in shock. Overcome by fear, she collapsed to the floor and fainted.

Grete was unable to help her mother. Trembling and crying, she screamed for her father. Her cries echoed through the entire house. Kafka made this scene particularly powerful. Here we see Gregor’s final attempt to cling to his human life, the transformation of a mother’s tenderness into terror, and the helplessness of his sister. The removal of furniture became symbolic of the family accepting Gregor as an animal, while his desperate embrace of the picture showed his last effort to remain human.

The Father’s Attack: Right after the incident of the furniture removal, the atmosphere of the Samsa household filled with tension. Mrs. Samsa had fainted from fear, and Grete, terrified, kept calling out for her father. Responding to her cries, Mr. Samsa rushed into the room. His eyes were full of fear, despair, and above all, anger. To him, Gregor was no longer his son but rather a source of danger and shame for the family.

Mr. Samsa grabbed whatever was at hand to use as a weapon. From the table, he picked up several apples and began hurling them one after another at Gregor. The first few hit Gregor’s body and rolled onto the floor. But suddenly, one apple struck directly into Gregor’s back and embedded itself deeply into his hard shell. Gregor screamed in agony. The apple lodged within his body and would not come out. Writhing in unbearable pain, he tried to crawl toward the wall to hide, but his body was heavy, the wound was bleeding, and he could barely move.

Seeing this, Mrs. Samsa wept and begged her husband to stop. Her voice was filled with both fear and maternal compassion. Yet Mr. Samsa did not relent. He continued to unleash his rage, despair, and helplessness on Gregor. Even Grete tried to stop him, crying and pleading that her brother was not harming anyone and didn’t deserve such cruelty. But her words, too, could not calm her father’s fury. It was as if Mr. Samsa, crushed under the weight of family and societal pressures, poured all his frustrations onto Gregor.

This scene stands out as one of the most terrifying moments in Kafka’s symbolic narrative. It makes clear that, in the eyes of the family, Gregor had become nothing more than a burden. The apple embedded in his back symbolizes his permanent wound and humiliation. This attack marked the rapid decline of Gregor’s physical condition. The wound on his back never fully healed, and the constant pain reminded him daily that his family no longer loved him as before. Instead, they wished he would simply disappear.

The Depth of Alienation: After his father’s attack, Gregor Samsa lived on in a state of severe injury. The apple embedded in his back was never removed. It slowly began to rot, spreading a foul stench around him. Yet the family made no attempt to take it out. Gregor endured this pain day after day. His body weakened, and his ability to move declined.

At first, his sister Grete Samsa took care of him. She brought food and cleaned his room. But gradually, her patience wore thin. Her own workload increased, and household responsibilities grew heavier. Slowly, she began to see Gregor only as a burden.

Grete had once considered him a person and shown compassion toward his condition. Over time, however, she began to see him only as a monstrous insect. She no longer wished to speak with him. Even when she entered his room, she rushed out quickly. Gregor’s room also changed. Once clean and furnished, it has now become a complete mess. Broken furniture, discarded items, and dirty clothes were piled up there. For the family, his room slowly turned into a storage space rather than a human living space.

Gregor sat alone. No one spoke to him. In their eyes, he was no longer a member of the family. His only companion was the outside world he saw through the window. He would sit near it, watching people pass by, gazing at the colors of the sky, feeling the faint touch of air. These became his last fragile links to life. But deep inside, Gregor knew his family was avoiding him completely. They no longer loved or cared for him, but instead saw him as a source of shame.

This realization deepened his loneliness. Kafka shows here that Gregor’s transformation was not only physical but also a kind of psychological death. He was cut off from his family, from society, and even from his beloved sister Grete. He sank into extreme solitude.

 

(In Part II – Alienation, we see Gregor becoming completely estranged from both family and society. Grete begins as compassionate but gradually turns resentful. Mrs. Samsa is loving but timid and helpless. Mr. Samsa is angry and aggressive and treats Gregor like an enemy. The Chief Clerk never returns, but his earlier presence remains as a reminder of the oppressive demands of Gregor’s work life. Kafka shows that when a person is no longer useful to family or society, they are gradually ignored, even attacked. Gregor’s transformation is ultimately a symbol of the inhumanity and isolation of modern life.)

Part III – Decline and Death

At the end of Part II, we saw Gregor Samsa gravely injured by the apple his father threw at him. That wound remained lodged in his back. Now begins the final chapter of his life: decline and death.

The Family’s New Condition: After his father’s attack, Gregor Samsa became extremely weak. The apple embedded in his back eventually began to rot. The wound never healed, but instead grew worse day by day. He lived on with constant pain. His body grew frail, and he almost entirely lost the ability to move. Gregor slowly became utterly helpless. Meanwhile, outside his room, his family began to reorganize their lives in new ways. Once, Gregor had been the family’s primary breadwinner. But now, completely incapacitated, he could no longer provide. Every member of the household had to take up work to keep the family going.

• Mr. Samsa: Once unemployed and dependent on Gregor’s earnings, he now returned to work. He found a job in a bank. Each morning, he left for the office and returned home at night, exhausted. A new hardness and discipline appeared in his face. His transformation showed how family responsibility can reshape a person.
• Mrs. Samsa: Once confined to the role of housewife, she now takes on work to earn money. From home, she began sewing and mending clothes, earning small amounts. But this labor left her physically drained. Her frail health was unsuited to such work, yet she was forced to continue for the sake of the household.
• Grete Samsa: Once carefree and youthful, she now worked as a salesgirl. Each morning, she left home and returned late at night, tired. In the beginning, she cared for her brother Gregor. But the burden of work and her own fatigue gradually changed her. Her sympathy faded. She stopped seeing Gregor as a person and began to regard him as a burden.

Thus, the family slowly adjusted to a new life. Outwardly, they began to live a “normal” existence again. But within Gregor’s room, there remained only silence, pain, and isolation.

Gregor realized his family no longer needed him. They were busy with their own affairs, accounting, income and expenses, the weariness of work. Their attention drifted further and further from him. To them, he was now only a useless burden. Kafka shows here how someone who was once the pillar of a family could gradually be cast aside. Out of economic necessity, the family took on new responsibilities, but emotionally, they abandoned Gregor. This reflects the harsh reality of how modern society neglects those who are helpless and incapable.

The Lodgers: Gregor Samsa’s incapacity threw his family into financial crisis. Once they had depended entirely on his earnings, but now, having to care for him, they faced even greater difficulties. To cover household expenses, Mr. Samsa, Mrs. Samsa, and Grete all took up jobs. Yet their combined income was still insufficient. Under this economic pressure, the family decided to rent out part of their apartment to three lodgers. These lodgers were stern, rude, and fastidious men. Their movements, their meals, and even the family’s behavior fell under their strict control.

With the arrival of the lodgers, the atmosphere of the household changed completely. Now their dominance was felt in every corner of the home. At the dining table they imposed rules, raised complaints over trivial matters, and their presence kept the whole family constantly alert and fearful. Gregor’s room became an immense source of shame for the family. If the lodgers were ever to see him, they would be terrified, offended, and perhaps refuse to pay the rent. So the family tried to hide Gregor entirely. His door was kept shut, no one entered, and it was as if he did not exist at all. To the family, his life was no longer of value; he was merely a burden. In their eyes, Gregor was nothing more than a monstrous creature, and hiding him was the only way they could survive.

Kafka uses this episode to expose the hypocrisy and selfishness of society. The lodgers represent the outside world, concerned only with money and comfort. The family, in turn, tries to present a picture of order and respectability to them, while concealing their disabled member. Shame, guilt, and disgust now dominated their attitude toward Gregor. Through the lodgers, Kafka makes Gregor’s complete isolation and uselessness even more painfully clear.

Gregor’s Decline: Over time, Gregor Samsa’s body and spirit both began to collapse. Once, he could at least move about a little, climb walls, and hang from the ceiling. These small activities gave him a faint tie to life. But now he had no strength left. Gregor lay almost all the time in bed. His legs had grown weak, his shell had dried out. The wound on his back never healed. Each day, he lived with that pain, writhing in constant torment.

Even food lost its appeal. Once he had found comfort in eating stale and rotten scraps, but now even these seemed meaningless. Though hungry, he no longer wanted to eat. His body grew thinner, almost skeletal. Now the only company in Gregor’s life was sound. Through the door, he listened to his family’s voices. He heard his parents and sister eating together, chatting, laughing. Sometimes they spoke with the lodgers. All these sounds reached Gregor’s ears, but he had no place in that joyful world.

Gregor understood very well that he was no longer part of the family. They avoided him completely. He lay in the dark corner of his room, imagining life outside. His existence was utterly isolated. Kafka makes this decline symbolic: Gregor’s withering body mirrored his inner collapse, his total separation from both family and society.

The Sisters’ Music: One night, after the family had finished dinner, Grete Samsa took up her beloved violin. The three lodgers sat at the table, having finished their meal, and listened intently, as if at a concert. Gregor was lying inside his room when the strains of the violin reached his ears through the door. The music stirred deep emotions within him. For the first time in a long while, a sense of peace filled his soul.

Gregor thought that if anyone had ever stood by him, it was Grete. To him, her music was more than sound; it was comfort for his spirit. He believed that as long as Grete kept playing, he could hold onto some peace. Her violin connected him, in some strange way, back to humanity in his final days. Swept away by these feelings, Gregor slowly pushed open the door and entered the room. He longed to approach his sister, to tell her silently: “You are my hope, you are my comfort.” But Gregor forgot that his appearance was no longer human.

The lodgers suddenly noticed him and cried out in horror. They jumped up from their chairs in fear. Some faces showed disgust, others terror. To them, Gregor was nothing but a monstrous insect. Immediately, they declared they would not remain in the house any longer. They would not pay rent. At once, the family fell into a deeper financial crisis. All their careful efforts to please the lodgers were shattered in a moment.

Gregor was stunned by this scene. To him, Grete’s music had been the last light of his life. But the lodgers’ reaction dimmed that light. He realized he was nothing but a burden, dragging his family into misfortune. Here, Kafka shows how music symbolizes Gregor’s last human emotions and his soul’s yearning. Grete’s violin offered him hope, yet the lodgers’ reaction revealed society’s cruelty and inhumanity. They could enjoy art but had no compassion for the artist. This moment deepened Gregor’s loneliness even further. His final refuge crumbled before his eyes.

Grete’s Decision: After the violin incident, Gregor Samsa believed that at least his sister, Grete Samsa, would still understand him. But the opposite happened. Grete no longer wanted to care for Gregor as she once did. The exhaustion of work, the pressures of household responsibilities, and the constant shame and inconvenience surrounding her brother had changed her. Though Gregor had entered the room overwhelmed by the music, Grete burst out in anger and frustration. She felt that Gregor’s presence was not only a burden to the family but also a threat to their future. When the lodgers saw Gregor and announced they would leave the house in fear, the family’s situation worsened. At this point, Grete could remain silent no longer.

She declared in front of everyone that this was no longer their Gregor. If it truly were him, she said, he would not have remained a burden for so long; he would have gone away on his own. Her words were harsh and merciless. Gregor heard every syllable. The sister who had once been his only source of care now rejected him.

After Grete’s declaration, Mrs. Samsa broke down in tears. Her motherly heart still saw Gregor as her son, but she was powerless to do anything. She could only weep helplessly. Mr. Samsa, on the other hand, remained silent. In his eyes, Gregor had long since become useless. He said nothing, but his silence was itself an agreement with his daughter’s words.

At this moment, the family made it clear: they had completely abandoned Gregor. There was no longer any sense of duty, love, or sympathy left for him. In their eyes, he was nothing but an insect, a burden that needed to be removed. Through this scene, Kafka shows the final breaking of the last bond Gregor had with his family. The sister who once gave him comfort now led the call for his death. This was the ultimate collapse of Gregor’s spirit and the climax of his loneliness.

Gregor’s Death: After hearing Grete’s harsh declaration, Gregor Samsa realized that he no longer had any value to his family. The sister who had once been his only refuge now denied him. Gregor firmly understood that he was no longer human and no longer of any use to his family. Instead, he had become nothing but a burden in their lives. This realization shattered his spirit. He no longer tried to resist. He no longer fought to maintain his place in the family.

In deep sorrow, exhaustion, and loneliness, Gregor slowly retreated back to his room. He knew this was his final journey. His body could no longer muster any strength, his legs trembled, and his body felt unbearably heavy. Reaching the dark corner of his room, he lay quietly on his bed. The night passed. No one from the family came to check on him. Silence surrounded everything. At dawn, on March 3rd, Gregor’s life came to an end. There was no cry, no sound, only a silent death. His body shriveled, dried up, and turned into an empty, lifeless shell.

Kafka presents this scene of death with profound silence and tragedy. Gregor’s death did not bring grief to his family, but rather relief. He had not chosen death himself, but his sorrow and isolation had pushed him toward it. Gregor’s death symbolizes his ultimate uselessness in the eyes of his family. In modern society, when a person can no longer work, they are easily neglected and cast aside. Death became his only release from a life of loneliness.

Family’s Release: At dawn, when everything was silent, the Charwoman (the elderly cleaning lady) entered Gregor’s room. As usual, she had come to do her cleaning duties. But upon entering, she was stunned by a strange sight. Gregor lay motionless on the bed. His body was shriveled and skeletal, his eyes dull, lifeless. Gregor was dead. The Charwoman immediately informed the family. Mr. Samsa, Mrs. Samsa, and Grete Samsa each reacted differently, but deep down, they all felt a sense of relief. They did not mourn or cry. Instead, their eyes revealed peace, as if they had finally been freed from a long, dreadful burden.

They thought that now, at last, they could begin their lives anew. The trouble, shame, and financial strain of caring for Gregor were gone. Soon, the news spread. The three lodgers, who the previous day had threatened to leave after seeing Gregor, wasted no time in actually departing. The family did not concern itself with them anymore. It was as if Gregor’s death had solved that problem too. Soon after, the family decided to go out to breathe fresh air. They boarded a tram together and went on an outing outside the city. For the first time in a long while, they sat together in comfort. The surrounding scenery stirred a new vitality within them.

Hope returned to the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Samsa. They now saw that their daughter Grete was no longer a child. She had grown up beautiful and mature. They began to plan for her future anew. They decided that they would soon find a suitable marriage for Grete. At this moment, Gregor’s death was not seen as grief but as the opening of a new life for the family. His sacrifice, his suffering, his lonely death, none of it held importance for them anymore. Instead, they began to forget him and shape their own future. Kafka cruelly exposes here the family’s relief and indifference.

• Gregor’s death = the end of the family’s burden.
• The lodgers’ departure = the end of outside pressure.
• The tram ride = a symbol of new life.
• Grete’s future = a symbol of the family’s renewed hope.

(In Part III – Decline and Death, we see Gregor slowly succumb to injury, hunger, and sorrow. The family completely rejects him. The lodgers symbolize society’s cruelty and selfishness. Grete turns against him and no longer accepts him as a brother. Eventually, Gregor dies. His death frees the family, and they dream of a new life. Kafka shows here that when a person no longer serves the family or society, they are rejected. Gregor’s death is tragic, but the family sees it as liberation. It is a symbolic tale of the cruelty, loneliness, and inhumanity of modern life.)