Gregor Samsa

Intro From “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. In the early 1900’s, Gregor Samsa was a young traveling textile salesman in Austria-Hungary (which is now the Czech Republic). He loves his family very much. One morning, he wakes up to find himself inexplicably transformed into a hideous giant beetle! Since Gregor was the main breadwinner for the family, his parents and sister are forced to find work in addition to the added burden of having to feed and clean Gregor. Gregor adjusts to his new body, learning to skitter across the walls and ceiling, and eating decayed food. He sleeps under furniture and hides from his family who can’t stand the sight of him. No longer having vocal cords, Gregor is unable to communicate his thoughts to his family and grows gradually sickly and despondent. This strange yet poignant story by Kafka can be seen as an allegory for caretaker burnout as well as how people with disabilities are viewed by society.