The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis can be categorized as the type of book that is relevant to today's society and to Franz Kafka's expectations of the kind of books one should read. This book conveys a principled story to which one can learn from. It is a short story about Gregor Samsa, a man who devotes his life to his family and work, for nothing in return. Only when he is transformed into a helpless insect, then he begins to develop a self-identity and understanding of the relationships around him. The Metamorphosis shows an existential view that says any choice a person makes will govern the later course of his or her life. In this case, Gregor's lack of identity has caused him to be numb to everything around him.
One morning, Gregor awakens to find himself with the body of an insect. Although it never explains how Gregor morphed into an insect , or shows that Gregor gives much thought to having the body of an insect, Kafka gives the strong impression that Gregor is extremely devoted to his work and is the sole support for his family, none of whom work themselves.
"If I didn't hold back for my parents' sake, I would have quit long ago. (p.1084)." Gregor devoted himself to a life of work and self sacrifice, following every order and expectation to a scurrilous degree. His life is like a drone in an ant colony, which fits the explanation to Kafka's logic when he transformed Gregor into an insect. Through his insect transformation, Gregor abandoned his obligations to society and instead devoted the rest of his life to himself. Because of this, Gregor's family quickly grew to resent him as a burden to the household. Society and his family had no further use for him, so...