The Family In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

Currently, an icon of twentieth-century literature, Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis delves into the social interactions within a family as the protagonist, Gregor Samsa goes through metamorphosis and becomes an insect. Following his change, the third-person limited point of view allows the reader to understand Gregor’s emotions and the function of his father. Within this text his father, Mr.Samsa becomes one who does not follow the traditions of a father within a nuclear family and the author explores the effects in which his actions have deemed negative consequences for the rest of the family. Kafa uses the father as a symbol of the dominating figure who tried to maintain the nuclear family structure after Gregor’s transformation. …show more content…
The father expected the women of the family to fail, showing how he always believed that the family revolved around him; insinuating the belief he kept the family in place. Due to this, Mr. Samsa believed that the family was to be on his terms so when things went wrong he was sure to blame it on not following his command. To Gregor it was clear that his father, “…. was assuming that Gregor had been guilty of some violent act”(107). He blames it on the women but makes Gregor take full responsibility to enforce gender roles and wants Gregor to “manning up to it”. He assumes that Gregor was looking up to him as a role model and would take on the violent nature of his father. So, for his father to spare him, Gregor had to prove himself as good and obedient. Mr.Samsa is so ingrained in having that picture perfect family however he lacks in maintaining the core aspects, such as trusting in Gregor which allows his anger to overtake his good judgment. He displays that sense that he was the only proper behaving person within this family by “ ….persist(ing) in keeping his uniform on even in the