WORK AND IDENTITY PRESENTED IN STORY METAMORPHOSIS
Work is an important theme in ‘Metamorphosis’ where the identity of almost every character (except, maybe, the lodgers) being defined significantly by what they do.
What are the different ideas about the relationship between work and identity presented in this story? Does the story finally appear to have one coherent ideology of the workidentity relationship, or is it explored as an open-ended theme without any one perspective being privileged? Give reasons for your answer supported by specific textual evidence.
Answer:
Work makes the identity of a person in our society. Each person is defined and judged by the kind of work he is doing. It helps you achieve a respectful position in the society.
However, many low-status occupations do not provide a definition of self that is agreeable to that person. Let’s look at the various ideas about the relationship between work and identity presented in the story. First take Gregor, Gregor was a salesman. He took his job in order to earn money for the family and consequently providing money to his family to pay the debts, he achieved a position of money provider in the family.
Work made him a responsible person and gave him a purpose for the life. Later on when he metamorphosed into an insect, he was proud and self-satisfied that he was able to provide such a good support and help to his family. Work got him a respectful position in the family and attachments from the family as we see everyone was worried about him when he didn’t wake up from the bed in the morning. And, his sister and mother took care of him hoping that he’ll transform back in human and will start working again.
From the above discussion, we can say that the work provides you an identity of a selfdependent, money provider, responsible and proud.
For manager, the identity of gregor was like a working machine. Manager doesn’t care about the