Character Essay (Midterm)

In society, it is common for those who do not conform to everyday lifestyles to be shunned by the majority of society. In literature, this is seen almost constantly when a character whose stances on morals and values are completely different than those of the population. One of the most interesting cases of this is Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” in which the main character, Gregor becomes physically impaired as a result of his environment and surroundings.

                As a traveling salesman and main provider for his family, Gregor has a great deal of stress placed atop him until one day; he has changed into an insect. While it is never clear what in fact his body has molded into, an agreeable argument would be that he has not changed into an insect at all, but instead has become insane from the viewpoint of society and contorts his body in certain ways. Environment plays an extremely important role in the development of one’s personality; in fact it is the deciding factor on how a person will behave. Gregor has lived an average life as a salesman and lives in a normal apartment. However, due to his treatment by his relatives and boss, the character has a mental breakdown.

                Gregor alone would not have molted or changed if it were not for how people treat him to begin with. For instance, after Gregor has molted, his parents rarely visit his room and most of their confrontations result in the character’s injury. His boss runs away when he sees that state Gregor is in, and even his sister loses interest in him. When he dies, everyone is relieved of his life. Growing up in a family such as this must have been extremely difficult for Gregor throughout childhood, and the emotional stress of his income must have been unbearable. For example, if Gregor had loving parents and felt secure with his actions, the “change” most likely would not have occurred. But because of his pressured surroundings, the character snapped and unintentionally strayed from society.    

                It is a personal war within Gregor that cannot be won; when he is an average person, he is not respected, and when he transforms into a product of his environment, he is hated. When boarding members see Gregor, they feel uncomfortable and leave the house, showing that humans are arrogant to nonconformists. Once Gregor dies, the family is happy, showing that the parents or human beings in general do not like what they create if it is against norms, even though it is the environment that they provide which initiates it.