Analysis and Interpretation of an Excerpt

In this excerpt Grete and her mother are taking all of Gregor’s furniture out of his room. This excerpt presents a great deal of irony as we see how the characters feelings have changed after Gregor’s transformation. Gregor states, “They were clearing his room out; taking away everything he loved;” It’s ironic that Gregor spent a great deal of his time working at a job that he utterly despises so that his family could afford food and in return they repay him by taking away all the stuff that he loves. “…he had to confess that he would not be able to stand it much longer.” This really shows how much Greogor’s family cares about him. When he was transformed into a cockroach he could no longer do his job, and as a result became useless to his family. Moreover, Gregor’s feelings towards his family also change; he begins to despise them. This is illustrated when he says, “… he had no more time to waste in weighing the good intentions of the two women, whose existence he had by now almost forgotten.” Gregor no longer acknowledges the other characters as family, he doesn’t even call them by their names; he recognizes them as, ‘the two women’. Even Grete, who he was thankful to and wanted to give his savings to, now he hated. Gregor says, “… she wanted to get her mother to safety and then drive him down from the wall. Well, let her just try it! He clung to his picture and would not give it up. He would rather fly in Grete’s face.” Quite ironic is it not? The sister that he wanted to give his savings to and the mother that he spent his adult life earning money for, had now enforced him to hate them.

Part 2:

In this excerpt of The Metamorphosis Grete and her mother are taking all of Gregor’s furniture out of his room. This excerpt presents a great deal of irony as we see how the characters feelings have changed after Gregor’s transformation. Gregor works at a job that he utterly despises for the sole purpose that it pays off his parents debt, and he’s treated so appallingly that he ends up with abhorrence towards his family: “… and the scrapping of furniture along the floor had the effect on him of some vast disturbance coming from all sides at once, and however much he tucked in his head and legs and pressed his body to the floor, he had to confess that he would not be able to stand it much longer. They were clearing his room out; taking away everything he loved;” (Kafka, 86). This clearly demonstrates the extent of Greogor’s family’s affection.  This quote is only two whole sentences as the anguish, hatred, and despair overtook Gregor and he could no longer stop expressing the illustrious hatred that he felt towards the women, they were purposely ‘taking away everything he loved’ after all that he had scarified. When he was transformed into a cockroach he could no longer do his job, and as a result became useless to his family. Moreover, Gregor’s feelings towards his family changed drastically; he begins to despise them. This is illustrated when he says, “… he had no more time to waste in weighing the good intentions of the two women, whose existence he had by now almost forgotten.” (Kafka, 86). Gregor no longer acknowledges the other characters as family, he doesn’t even call them by their names; he recognizes them as, ‘the two women’. Even Grete, whom he was thankful to and wanted to give his savings to, now he detested. Gregor says, “… she wanted to get her mother to safety and then drive him down from the wall. Well, let her just try it! He clung to his picture and would not give it up. He would rather fly in Grete’s face.” (Kafka, 87). Quite ironic is it not? The sister that he wanted to give his savings to and the mother that he spent his adult life earning money for had now enforced him to hate them.