the metamorphosis by kafka
...ances and no friends on his travels, and having his bosses treat him like an incompetent and inadequate employee led him to lead a lonely and isolated life. Gregor had also estranged himself from his family in his own home. For example, Gregor would lock the door to his room every night because it was a habit he picked up from his travels. By locking the door even though he was in his own home it shows in a sense that he doesn’t fully trust his own family. The alienation that derived from his family seemed to have affected him the to the highest degree. Gregor was the sole breadwinner in the household which gave him high sense of importance. On the flip side, he was treated as just that. His parents relied on him for money without the slightest sense of gratitude. It seems as though there was no loving or caring relationship between himself and his parents. Gregor’s sense of duty to his family compelled him to work at a job he scorned. The symbolism of Gregor changing into an insect, which is something that represents insignificance, shows societies views on labor and money. It reminds me of any elderly man close to retirement. They work until an old age, and once they become to old or perhaps sick they are no longer useful to societies views of our economy. Although most of the time they st...