Metamorphosis
In the novella Metamorphosis the main character Gregor is morphed into a cockroach. It never states how it is that this change occurred. I believe that it happened as a way to save Gregor’s family from the confinements of his job.
Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman. It just so happened that Gregor’s father owed a lot of money to his boss. Mr. Samsa had owned a business in the past. Unfortunately the business was lost and this left Gregor’s father unemployed. He never got back into the work world leaving it up to Gregor to provide for the family. Gregor hated his job and thought it was a tiresome burden. Although he despised his career, he was very devoted to it. He was determined to provide in the best way possible for his family.
He was always absorbed in his work “The lad only ever thinks about the business”, exclaims his mother in the first chapter before he is revealed as a giant roach to the family. Because his father was in debt to Gregor's boss they had no way of leaving the city in which they lived. At the time I don’t think anybody in the Samsa family realized that how they were living wasn’t beneficial.
Once Gregor’s horrible plight was revealed the family’s well-being went downhill. The sister became overworked, the father was abusive to Gregor, everybody was unhappy. Gregor’s father had to get a job to support the family seeing as Gregor no longer could. Alas the Samsa family was now stuck in a worse position than they previously had been. That is until one morning Gregor was found dead.
By this point in the novella the family stopped treating Gregor as if he were their son. After all he was a cockroach! As soon as it was clear that they were free of their bug infestation the mood was instantly brightened. The family drew closer together, mourned the loss of their son and brother, but most importantly moved on. They were free from the life they lead before Gregor’s transformation. They moved out to the open country with anticipation for a happy future