Kafka's story can be identified as one of today's families. Gregor, a man who sacrificed himself working only to pay his father's debts, turns up a bug one day instead of prospering on with his life. He was not recognized by his family for the efforts he did, was taken for granted, and was expected to support the whole family never considering what his needs and wants may be.
Kafka symbolizes Gregor as a bug to show the importance of Gregor's financial stability to the family. "In the course of that very first day Gregor's father explained the family's financial position and prospects to both his mother and his sister (481)." As a result of this, his mother, father and sister had to work together, in order support themselves.
In his transformations, Gregor was looked down on and ignored by his own family, an invalid rather than the person who had supported them financially for so long.
Gregor FDB-1, CF-BMB
Gregor Robertson, Founder of Happy Planet
Gregor Robertson, Founder of Happy PlanetGregor's family hid him out in shame. "Pitilessly Gregor's father drove him back, hissing and crying 'shoo!' like a savage (476)." However during this time, attention was turned to Gregor's sister, she was the one who would feed him, clean his room and report to his parents what was going on.
In spite of all this suffering, Gregor could not communicate with his family and not have a normal life. He got use to his new environment, body, food, living under the couch, climbing on the ceilings, and in certain way he enjoyed those things. "He especially enjoyed hanging suspended from the ceiling; it was much better than lying on the floor; one could breathe more freely; one's body swung and rocked lightly; and in the almost blissful absorption induced by this suspension it could happen to his own surprise that he...