Gregor’s Sacrifice
In the story, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the main character’s death can be seen as either an unintentional or self-sacrifice. However one sees it, although, Gregor’s death impacted family due to his role as a member and his personality. Unintentionally, Gregor could have been a man whose life wasn’t supposed to change, but unfortunately did. On the other hand, Gregor’s actions from his entire life may have been leading up to his last moments of life. Gregor’s characterstics, actions, and his whole life have been leading up to the days and weeks before his death. One who views this story in more of a meaning and symbolic way would see that Gregor was a coward of a man who, although took care of his family, suppressed their goals and desires. When his transformation took place it became more evident the role Gregor played in the family. The fact that his family never talked to him once meant that they never truly thought it was he still in the animal’s body. Just as he was as a bug, in his human form he was considered a burden. Kafka never commented on how Gregor felt about his upcoming death, which means one can interpret Gregor’s feelings as surrender to his situation and insignificance. One would say that, with his family in mind, he would finally relieve them of their stress and let them start a metamorphosis of their own. The entire ending scene was dedicated to the daughter and her future ahead, “as soon as they reached their destination Grete was the first to get up and stretch out her young body.” Just like a butterfly stretches its wings after the stage of chrysalis, Grete stretches her body from a state of confinement. It is not coincidence that Gregor turned into a bug specifically. When one thinks of a bug, they think of spineless and squeamish. Gregor’s responsibilities were to take care of his entire family by himself. It