Three changes in Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis: a change in physical form, character, or circumstances

     In the book, Metamorphosis, we can see changes, many changes, like the meaning of the title of the book. After reading this book, there are three major changes that stood up clearly to me, and I categorize them into physical form, character, and circumstances, as below:


1. The effect of Gregor's Physical change on his mind

     Gregor woke up one day finding himself transform into an insect. We don't know why and how this happen and even at the end we still have no clue. But I don't think that's the main part that the author wants the readers to focus on. As we can see, the transformation cause Gregor unable to communicate with his family, although he still understand them, they can't decode his words, so to them, Gregor is a complete insect, when in reality, we as readers see this whole story in the view of Gregor so we understand that there is still humanity inside of his mind. It's just that the mind and they body are not in harmony. Although he continues to think with a human mind, his actions follow his body's desire, he can't reconcile between these two part of him. We can see this clearly shown when his mom helps him to move the furniture so it would be easier for him to crawls around, but he still want to leave some "furniture" inside his room because he's afraid that it will turn into a cave! He need the furniture inside to provide emotional comfort that help reminds him of his former life.

There are still humanity remains inside
of Gregor's bug-like body.

From this part of the story we can see the choice he's struggling to make between physically comfortable or emotionally comfortable, but at last he chose emotional comfort, that's why he cling to the picture so much. His family didn't understand that this is a sign which means Gregor isn't able to give up on his humanity completely yet, even at the end he is not able to give up too, although his body still remain opposite from his mind. Through these details we can see how our physical lives affect our mental lives, not the other way around, like Gregor's transformation, he start to behave like an insect although he still has a human mind.

2. Grete's changes from a girl to a woman
     Grete go through her own transformation too, both physically and mentally. From Gregor's perspective, we see Grete as an innocent little girl who relies on her family and has this dream of going to music school, but after Gregor's transformation, she begins to take adult duties, such as getting a job to help support her family or caring for Gregor.

She starts to think differently and understand more. She support her parents verbally  and she even stood up at last so they could get rid of Gregor and end this burden. In the last few sentences of the story her parents realize that she has grown into a beautiful young lady, this show the readers that she is now an adult emotionally also physically. 

In zoology, metamorphosis also means a stage of an insect/amphibian developing from an immature form into an adult after experiencing a physical transformation. So after Grete had experience and overcome all these things due to Gregor's change, she finally gets to stretch out her young body, like a butterfly just out of the cocoon, and fly out to reach her dreams.

3. The changes in circumstances of the family

     The last major change that happened inside the story is the whole circumstances of the family. They use to rely on Gregor for the money income after his dad had fail in business, but after the transformation, they start to take more responsiblity for the house. Grete starts to find a job and take care of Gregor, the mom start to help and even the dad start to go to work.

Even though at last they cannot bear anything from Gregor anymore, they overcome their financial problems and prepare to move, sent Grete to school, and find a husband for her. They found relief after Gregor's death because they no longer need to deal with his presence and they also completed an emotional transformation as they experience through all these troubles and find hope at last.

     The whole story of Metamorphosis is base on changes in physical body, character, and circumstances of the family. Although it's really sad to see Gregor die at the end after all his investment and sacrifice, it's still nice to see the whole family start to grow and get going with life. Even though it seems like they didn't realize the sacrifice Gregor had made for the whole family since they lack communicate and lose sympathy of the whole family. They even take Gregor's death as a new start of their life and a relief for them! They are happy with the start, but they will never know the whole sacrifice of Gregor and how they had torn his hearts into pieces with their thorn-like words and leave him dying so painfully and lonely at the end. They never understand the sacrifice, and we will never understand why did he sacrifice.

This reminds me of someone who sacrifice at first for people who didn't understand his sacrifice, and will never truely understand the "LOVE" of him that cause him to sacrifice for us. I believe after reading this story the fourth major change will take place, which is in the reader's itself, both mentally and physically.