The metamorphosis of the family in Kafka's MetamorphosesIn Franz Kafka's Metamorphoses, the nature of Gregor Samsa's reality changes insignificantly despite his drastic physical changes. Gregor's life before the metamorphosis was limited to work and caring for his family. As a street vendor, Gregor worked long, hard hours that left him little time to experience "life." He reflects on his life recognizing the "plague of travel: the anxieties of changing trains, the irregular and poor meals, the always different faces, which you will never see again, people with whom you have no possibility of being friendly" (Kafka 13) . Gregor, working to pay off his family's debt, has resigned himself to a life full of work. Kafka himself expressed this sentiment in a quote from his diaries noting that no matter how hard you work "that work still does not entitle you to loving concern for people. Instead you are alone, a complete stranger, a mere object of curiosity" ( Pawel 167). Gregor immerses himself in work and becomes a stranger to himself and to life. Any kind of social contact beyond porters, waitresses or bartenders was non-existent. He had once met a "cashier in a hat shop, whom he pursued earnestly but too slowly" (Kafka 76). There was no room in Gregor's life for people other than his family and as a result he was condemned to a life without love. or thoughtful not to mention basic companionship. He worked diligently to provide for his family and that remained his only goal in life. Gregor's family counted on him as the "breadwinner" of the family, but gave him nothing in return. The life he had led up until now was full of obligations and loneliness; he returned home to find empty hotel rooms or his apathetic family... middle of paper... him and the desire for his death. Can anyone be sure that their life is good and perfect and that their families would understand and accept any changes that might occur? The fact is that first of all a person must consider himself, no matter how selfish it may seem. Your sense of self will help you get through all the adverse moments in life and will be a companion you can rely on when no one else cares. Works Cited Eggenschwiler, David. "'The Metamorphosis', Freud and the chains of Ulysses". Franz Kafka: modern critical visions. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 199-219.Emrich, Wilhelm. Franz Kafka: a critical study of his writings. New York: Ungar, 1968.Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. Trans. AL Lloyd. New York: Vanguard Press, Inc., 1946.Pawel, Ernst. The nightmare of reason. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.