An Analysis of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

In “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s life is entirely controlled by his family and work. He never takes the time to fulfill his personal happiness. His main priority is to memorize train schedules and make sure he arrives on time to work. From his bedroom window, he watches the outside world, but he never attempts to get outside and live life like a normal person. Although he does travel a lot, for his job, he doesn’t actually know much about the world. All he ever does is focus on working and attempting to get his family out of debt. Instead of taking control of his life, he’s the one being controlled. Gregor completely forgets about his own well-being and focuses on his family’s problems. He receives satisfaction by staring out his window and even gains pleasure by idolizing a magazine photo of a “lady all dressed in furs,”(p.26). Gregor just sits and does nothing, depressed with nothing to live for but his family. Instead of going out and experiencing life, he just sits in his room all day. Loneliness fulfills him like a person in a retirement home, in jail, or in a mental institution. Having the ability to go out and have fun, he would rather much pay close attention to his family problems. Besides work, he has nothing else to do. As long as his family is comfortable, Gregor allows his job and family to control him. Even as he is dying, only happy thoughts cross his mind. Pleasing his family is all that matters, causing Gregor to experience life behind closed doors. Gregor works hard to pay off his family’s debts and cover other financial needs. Even as a bug, Gregor thinks of his job instead of worrying about what he looked like. Since work is on his mind constantly, he has no time to have a life and is a slave to his job. Gregor is the type of person who is dedicated to work and money, not for himself but to support his family’s needs, he is a person who believes that work is necessary . People who are workaholics do nothing else but work

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