Myth's The Metamorphosis And The Bildungsroman

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A bildungsroman is a novel about the coming of age, with the character experiencing difficulties which allow them to gradually gain maturity. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor slowly starts realizing that his family is dependent on him and that is something he does not want to accept. Through a series of events which contribute to the overall growth of the character, Gregor gains self realization, ending in his death. The Metamorphosis is an example of a bildungsroman, emphasizing the power of money in society.
A bildungsroman usually starts out with the character experiencing a loss or tragedy that disturbs the main character emotionally (Bildungsroman - Examples and Definition of Bildungsroman). In the Metamorphosis, the main character, Gregor
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“By the self-elimination of her brother as a human being, Grete rises to monopolistic eminence and privilege in the family”(Sokel, 491). Even though she is only a sales girl in the outside world, her role in the family is much more. This shows the power that comes along with money.
At the end of the story, the character will accept these values which are important in society and ends the dissatisfaction. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor realizes the dissatisfaction his family has is because of his state of helplessness. Throughout the story, he gets the feeling that he’s a burden. However, unlike a common bildungsroman, another character in the story make the character make his final decision. Grete is strongly adamant about getting rid of her brother that is seems like she is making the decision for
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Usually this gain of maturity leads the character to lead a new life or change something drastic about himself. Gregor in this case slowly gains maturity by being able to perceive what is going on around him. It says “His opinion that he must by all means disappear was possibly even more emphatic than that of his sister”(Kafka, 110). Gregor finally realized at the end that the only thing left for him to do is die and relieve his family from the burden. Instead of leading a new life, he decides to end his instead. This is turn is a metamorphosis as well, gaining maturity and transitioning from life to death. “He kills himself simply by his will”, implying that ultimately, Gregor is the one that had control of his life. “It is a sacrificial death for the family...”, which is not very common in bildungsromans(Sokel,

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