The Metamorphosis: Gregor v. Grete

Many critics of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka have argued that Gregor’s turning into a giant insect is but one of several examples of a character “morphing” in some way from one state to another. One of the other characters that undergo a metamorphosis is Gregor’s sister Grete. Through the novella Grete changes from a naïve child into a responsible woman.

Gregor and Grete appeared to be very close, much like Kafka’s relationship with his siblings. Grete was most likely the only member of their family that he had a normal relationship with. After Gregor’s metamorphosis Grete is the only person who will go in his room and take care of him. She is also the only person who can maintain composure at the sight of him, this is demonstrated in the scene where Grete and Mrs. Samsa try to move out all of Gregor’s furniture. During that scene Gregor decides to actually show himself rather than hide under the couch and it shocks his mother making her pass out. Grete notices this and she goes into the kitchen to get something for her mom to calm her down. When Gregor appears behind her she is startled but then she just goes on with her business. Grete is one of two characters who is not deeply disturbed by the sight of Gregor. However, as time continues to pass and Gregor remains a bug, Grete goes from taking care of Gregor with ease to finding him to be more of a burden on top of her other jobs, leading her to eventually give up on Gregor all together.

Gregor is somewhat anti social when first introduced to the audience, but after he changes he finds that he really enjoys the company of his family once he can no longer have it. The thing is though that his family never really did want him around, they only saw him as a money source. Grete realizes that she can use the change in Gregor as a way to advance her standing in the family by taking care of Gregor and getting a job that way her mother and father will see her as a responsible young adult rather than a child.

At the end of the novella when Gregor finally passes away as what can be assumed a type of self sacrifice for his family the Samsa’s all decide to leave their house and go away some place new. The last paragraph of the story is devoted to the Samsa’s finally seeing a change in Crete and clearly states that they see her as an adult now rather than a child, “it occurred almost simultaneously to Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, as they watched their daughter getting livelier and livelier, that lately in spite of all the troubles which had turned her cheeks pale, she had blossomed into a good-looking, shapely girl.”

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is not just about the obvious metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa from human to bug but also about the metamorphosis of a family, specifically Grete Samsa. Through the entire novella we see not only Gregor change but also Grete, from child to adult.