The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Argumentative Essay

Metamorphosis is a book that takes us through various changes happening in the family. The biggest is however that of Gregg turning into an insect. This can be considered fiction as it is beyond possibility that a human can abruptly transform into an insect. The story however has a lot of symbolism of some of the unexpected changes that can transform a person’s life. Life is in itself is unpredictable and hence requiring that a person lives a day at a time. Some of the things we put so much hope in may become meaningless as they prove to be a passing wind. Some of the changes that happen around us are meant to remind us of what matters and how ready we should be for any change that may come our way. This also tests the patience and loyalty that people around have towards us. As we read from the story, we realise that human patience has a limitation as the mind slowly but steadily adjusts to the changes around.
Greg’s family depended on him for their livelihood. They had put so much hope on his income that it never occurred to them that something tragic might happen and consequently rendering them hopeless. This is revealed from the state of their affairs after Greg’s transformation. From the events, it appeared as if they were more worried about how they will cater for their needs more than the fact that Greg was no longer human. This implies that Greg’s importance to the family was all about the resources he brought to them other than the blood relationship they shared with them. If his family was concerned about his person, they would have cared to find out how and why the transformation took place and if there could be a means to reverse. We even realise that they did not care to take care of him except the sister who also had to it in secret. We realise that Greg struggled with his transformed body, trying to adjust as well as live.
The metamorphosis highlights an important lesson about change, which is inevitable. Change is not just something that is accepted and appreciated by the human generation. A lot of resistance and denial accompanies it. With time however, people realise that they have no control over what happens around than but to simply accept the changes and move on. It was quite a challenge for Greg to accept that he was no longer human but an insect. This he tried by standing on his feet and even opening the door normally. Despite the fact that every aspect of his body had changed, he still wanted to reason, converse and even eat as a human being. This is also reflected on his family members who at first could not believe that Greg had actually changed. It took time before his sister gave him insect food as well as removing furniture in his room.
As time went by and the family realised that the change was there to stay, they had no otherwise but to adjust to the same. They had to accept that Greg could no longer provide for them and that they had to look for an alternative source of income. Greg, after realising that he could no longer manoeuvre as a human being decided to crawl on the wall just like the insect. It became apparent that he was an insect and had to behave like one. The family also had to adjust to this fact by shifting their sympathy towards their son when he acted like a real insect. His father in particular ran out of patience on him and in fact started seeing him as a nuisance. This was especially revealed when Greg died and instead of them mourning, they felt so much relived.
The metamorphosis is a title that signifies a change in responsibility and the need for maturity. Greg’s younger sister only realised how responsible and mature she could be after life Greg’s transformation. She is seen to be the one closest to Gregory and even though she did it in secret, she was obliged to. She brought food for Gregory and even after realising that Gregory could no longer take the normal food, she took it upon herself to find out what he would enjoy eating. She also cleaned up his room and once suggested to the mother that they remove the furniture so that Greg has a better way of moving around. This the time, the sister realised, she needed to get a job and supplement the income of her family. It also appears that the responsibilities transformed her from a girl to a woman. After Greg’s death, her mother noticed her beauty and even thought of getting her a suitor.
There is a lot of irony that has also been displayed in the novel especially on the reaction of people when Greg was transformed. It appears as if nobody was shocked at the gigantic insect and raises an alarm over it. It is surprising how fast they accepted that the insect was Gregory and never tried maybe to look for him elsewhere. Even though they appeared a little bit shocked with the events, they did not attempt to find a solution for Greg. It was also surprising to note that the neighbours and even Greg’s boss did not sympathise with the situation by trying to understand what the family was going through. His boss demanded that Greg had stolen the family pays for what he claimed. On the other hand, the neighbour demanded that Greg be removed from the compound or they move away. This made his parents to restrict him in his room, which was more frustrating.
Greg’s case was not treated as special or unique but in fact as a misfortune that befell the family. Apart from Greg’s sister who seemed to be more empathetic with him, the rest of the family were more selfish when it came to the issue. They did not try to imagine the inconvenience s and adjustments that Greg had to go through but instead how inconvenienced they were living with an insect for a human being. This also displays the selfish nature of humans. Human actions tend to be more self-centred rather than accommodative. Whenever a person contemplates making a decision to do something, they negotiate on how it will be profitable to them rather than the other party. Such intents are motivated by the direct rewards they will get from it. Greg was an important asset to the family as long as he was human and providing for them. Once all this vanished, he became a burden that his death was a relief to the family.