From Despondence to Death
In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa transforms from a businessman into a human-sized, beetle-like creature unexpectedly overnight. His family finds him to be grotesque, and they immediately shut him out of their lives. Gregor's physical metamorphosis embarrasses his family, creates a barrier that forces him into a prison-like isolation, and brings about his despondence and death.
As a beetle, Gregor feels the need to hide from his family in order to be with them without frightening them. "And not without a slight feeling of shame, he scuttled un…
