Aziz 1

Sajid Aziz

Professor Weil

COL130

10/26/21

The relationship between humans and animals is a topic that has been largely discussed in

literature. Questions about the differences and similarities between humans and animals arise and

the answers can be very different. For many, physical appearance can be an easy way to separate

oneself from animals. On the other hand, similarities with our intelligence and emotional

response can show just how closely related we really are to animals. Further questions about the

hierarchy within the animal kingdom are asked in many pieces of literature, including Franz

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. This short story tells the narrative of a man who, like the title

suggests, undergoes a transformation. The opening line shares how Gregor Samsa woke up one

morning as a “vermin.” Over the next few weeks, Gregor tries to adapt to his new form while his

parents struggle to even look at him. Gregor’s sister, Grete, is responsible for feeding Gregor

because their parents are too scared of Gregor in his insect form. Gregor soon realizes that even

Grete can’t look at the creature that he has become so he hides himself under a bed sheet

whenever she enters the room. This causes Gregor to become completely isolated from all

human interaction. Even though Gregor is not physically a human anymore, he still suffers from

the same psychological issues that humans do; the isolation is not good for his mental state. Each

time Gregor attempts to come out of his room, he is either forced back in by his father or he

causes his mother to faint. After several series of these events, the family realizes that it is

impossible to continue living with Gregor. The Metamorphosis illustrates that some creatures are

unable to live with humans. This goes back to the idea that some animals have a higher status
 Aziz 2

than others, despite them all being part of the animal kingdom. Gregor is in a predicament where

he must give up his own life in order to keep his family satisfied. Even though he is no longer

physically a human, Gregor’s death proves that being a human is made up of both positive and

negative characteristics: his family’s rejection and betrayal, and his own self-awareness and

willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of others.

Towards the end of the story, Gregor is stuck in an overwhelmingly important

predicament. This predicament will ultimately be the reason for Gregor's death. Throughout most

of the story, Gregor’s sister Grete was the only one who showed any affection or care for Gregor

after his transformation. Although it wasn’t much, it was more than anyone else in the

household. She would enter the room and provide food for Gregor, even though she was terrified

of his appearance. Not only did she bring him food, but when she noticed that he had not eaten it,

she brought more options for him to taste until he found what he liked. Gregor’s parents,

however, made no attempt to feed Gregor because “it would have been more than they could

stand” (Kafka 21) to have seen Gregor in his new state. This is a clear indication that Grete is the

most accepting of the new Gregor thus far. This will ultimately make the predicament even more

significant. The predicament comes after Gregor ends up unintentionally scaring the members of

his household several times. Each time he leaves his room and someone sees him, a large

commotion takes place, causing him to be violently forced back into isolation. Eventually, his

parents and sister become fed up with this and decide that they can not live with the creature

around. Grete explains to her father that “it’s got to go” (Kafka 40), clearly dissociating Gregor

from his human self. By referring to Gregor as “it” instead of “he,” Grete is stripping Gregor of

his humanity and limiting him to his physical characteristics, even though Gregor has not shown

any intentions of harming anyone. Furthermore, Grete claims that “if it were Gregor he would
 Aziz 3

have seen long ago that it’s not possible for human beings to live with an animal like that and he

would have gone of his own free will” (Kafka 40). This statement is specifically devastating to

Gregor because Grete is saying that in order to prove that he is still truly Gregor, he must leave

the family. This statement by Gregor’s closest family member is why he must die: to prove that

he is still Gregor and that his soul has not changed unlike the rest of his body. The predicament is

unique because it came from the only person who showed any sympathy and caring for Gregor

after he transformed. This causes Gregor to feel a strong need to prove his humanity to her

specifically. Because of this, his decision was very easy. Gregor never had a doubt about what

choice he would make; in fact, he “felt that he must go away even more strongly than this sister”

(Kafka 41). Clearly Grete’s words had a large impact on Gregor because ther caused him to

sacrifice his own life for his family.

Gregor’s tragic death was the result of a display of human characteristics, both positive

and negative. All of the members of the Samsa family show certain traits throughout the entirety

of the story which represent what makes us human. It is impossible to be a human without

having flaws, and the parents of Gregor Samsa are no exception. The parents, and eventually

Grete as well, display a form of rejection of Gregor. While Gregor has not changed mentally, his

family can not see past the physical changes that have occured. After Gregor reveals himself to

his family and the chief, he tries to convince the chief not to fire him for his uncontrollable

transformation. The speech that Gregor gives shows that despite his physical appearance, he is

still in fact Gregor and that nothing mentally has changed. Gregor’s mother, however, still only

sees him as a creature and shouts “help, for pity’s sake, help!” (Kafka 17) when she sees him.

Mrs. Samsa’s rejection of her son continues throughout the story, as she faints almost every time

she sees him. This along with Mr. Samsa’s violence towards Gregor are key factors in Gregor’s
 Aziz 4

passing. His parents and sister have betrayed Gregor by reducing him to just a “creature.” On the

other hand, Gregor’s death is the epitome of human selflessness and self-awareness. Several

times after his transformation Gregor showed that he still cared enough about his parents to hide

himself so he wouldn’t scare them. Many of Gregor’s actions are “out of consideration for his

parents” (Kafka 26) even if it meant putting himself in an uncomfortable situation. Gregor pays

the ultimate price at the end of the story by allowing himself to pass away after hearing his

family discuss that they would be able to “carry on with their lives” (Kafka 40) if he was gone.

Gregor’s death illustrates how human nature can be vey two-sided. On one hand there is betrayal

and rejection, which leads to the death of Gregor. Conversely, Gregor’s selflessness and

willingness to sacrifice himself also lead to his death.

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis demonstrates how it is in human nature to reject living with

certain types of creatures. Society has assigned values to certain animals and unfortunately some

creatures have to be at the bottom of the list. This is shown in the story by Gregor’s

transformation and the subsequent rejection of him by his family. Gregor’s death shows that

human beings are naturally both good and bad. Perhaps Kafka intended to show that Gregor was

really more human than his family due to his selflessness and consideration for others, while his

family was selfish and blinded by appearances.