The book Metamorphosis is all about change. A story of a man transforming into an insect tells the value of being human in detail. The main character Gregor goes through a significant shift in appearance and faces several troubles in his life. Communicating, sacrificing and overcoming harsh problems explains the value of human life.

Grete’s reaction towards Gregor shows how humans are valued for their human qualities such as the ability to communicate. After Gregor’s metamorphosis, he is no longer welcomed by his own family because he could not talk. Although his sister Grete takes care of him by giving him the food and cleaning his room for him, it is ephemeral. She no longer helps him with love but out of a sense of duty. “He must go,” cried Gregor’s sister, “that’s the only solution, Father. (Page.96) As time passes, Grete becomes tired of the fact that Gregor cannot speak properly. “...the words could be made out at first, but then there was a sort of echo which made them unclear, leaving the hearer unsure whether he had heard properly or not.” (Page 9) This particular loss of human ability propels Grete to convince her parents to give up on him. The importance placed on the ability to communicate is reflected when Gregor loses his job as a traveling salesman. Gregor is not able to speak properly to his officer and fails to prove that he is suitable for this particular job. The officer eventually walks out the door. This showcases the social isolation felt by the character due to the fact he no longer can communicate.

Gregor indeed looks like an insect, but this does not stop him from embracing human values, as he shows love and sacrifice. Gregor epitomizes a noble human being as he persistently cares for his family even after he is hurt and isolated by them. Unlike his selfish family members, Gregor sacrifices himself for them until his last moment, caring for his family. “He thought back of his family with emotion and love. If it was possible, he felt that he must go away even more strongly than his sister. ” This quote describes what Gregor has been thinking over a few days. He realizes that he has been an obstacle to his family and decides to isolate himself from his family at the last moment by death. Gregor’s human spirit remains inside the cast of insect, which enables him to perform a great sacrifice for his family.

 In the end, the metamorphosis subsequently moves on to Grete, and this illustrates the resilient human trait of being able to overcome dark situations. By experiencing and enduring her brother and family’s emotional ordeal, Grete becomes stronger, and her future seems bright. “All the time, Grete was becoming livelier. … their daughter was blossoming into a well built and beautiful young lady.” (Page 104) She was able to turn a negative situation into a positive one, and this has indeed transformed her into a lovely young woman.

Gregor’s complicated life reveals to the reader a beautiful array of human traits and values. Gregor teaches us to appreciate the ability to communicate and interact, not hesitate to sacrifice yourself for those you love and learn how to deal with severe problems positively.