Preview

Gregor Samssa Character Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
416 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Gregor Samssa Character Analysis
Gregor Samsa is a flat, selfless character who often makes passive decisions about important choices in his life, like his job. Although Gregor Samsa is the protagonist, he is a flat character because his mentality is very static throughout the course of the story. For example, throughout the entire story he accepts his fate without ever trying to change it. In the beginning, as a human, he takes on the responsibility of paying off his parents’ debts while also making money to send his sister off to a conservatory so that his parents do not have to put up with the inconvenience of having a job. As a bug, he continues to put his family before him so that they do not have to deal with unpleasant situations. “But Gregor did not have the notion

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Franz Kafka and Gregor Samsa’s lives are in countless ways the same especially with their fathers. Franz’s father was named Herman, who triumph in his business of clothing; slightly resembling Gregor’s father’s named Herr, who failed in developing an increasing business. Herman was actually disappointed in his son's dream of being a writer; unlike Herr that was very proud to have his son in a well situated job. Both of the fathers were impatient and both decided to beat their son. Herr did it to get Franz to take over his business; while in the book it described how Herman throwed red apples at Gregor perhaps, because he was frustrated by his appearance of a repulsive varmint. Not only are their fathers…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The article is about Nick Sissa, a man from Huston, TX who saved hundreds of people’s lives during Harvey using a military truck he bought in 2016. The article tells you a little about his family in the sentence, “His wife Martha tells of how he departed in the military truck…” More about his life is found out at the beginning of the following sentence, “A Houston father made an impulse purchase a year ago not knowing it would allow him to save more than 300 stranded people during Hurricane Harvey.” These quotes show that Sissa has a wife named Martha and that he is also a father. He shows traits the epic trait of bravery and courage as seen in his following statement, “It was just a desire to go out and help people.” He left the house in a hurricane to go and help those in need. More examples of this are found in the sentence, “Sissa said the morning Harvey hit Houston with unrelenting rain, he felt compelled to get out of the house.” Even though it was dangerous he still went out to lend a hand to those in need, something that can be seen with epic heroes. Another trait that this man had those other epic heroes didn’t was going out even when it wasn’t required. There was nothing that forced him to act this way, he chose to do it out of the goodness of his heart. The heroes we read did it because they feel they needed to avenge someone, stand up for someone, or had to repay a debt to someone. Whereas Sissa just did this out of kindness and…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    As he continues on with his new insect body, he also finds that there are more changes that are to come. Samsa then tries to talk to both his father and his sister, and he realizes that not only his body changed to an insect form, but his voice has now changed too as well. As his boss comes to his house to check on Gregor, he is appalled at what he finds. People and visitors eventually pass through Gregor’s home, only to be afraid of what they find, and eventually Gregor’s family grows tired of hiding Gregor away from society as well as guests. The family eventually keeps Gregor away by having him only live in his bedroom.…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa felt insignificant and useless before he went through his metamorphosis, later in the book he transforms into a cockroach, a hated and viewed as a very repulsive bug by humans. This shows what he felt about himself about how he thought others perceived him. Since how Gregor is a bug and is unable to talk it gives a greater insight to how he feels and what he is thinking. This gives him as a bug more character and depth than the other people in the story who should have more thoughts and emotions about the things going on in his life and his families such as how the are adapting to his change and how they feel about his new appearance “Was he an animal, that music could move him so?” Part III, pg. 49…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman and the protagonist of the story. Gregor hates his job but keeps it because he feels he needs to pay of his father's debt and provide for his family. He then transforms into a bug and can never be changed back again, he lives the rest of his life as a bug hoping someone will take care of him. His family takes him for granted and when it's their turn to take care of him they don't.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gregor Samsa Abusive

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What would you do if you were transformed into a beetle overnight? This very thing happened to Gregor Samsa one rainy night. When Gregor turned into a beetle, his family ended up not wanting anything to do with him. This led to his father being abusive toward him. Gregors father was physically, mentally, emotionally abusive to him ever since the transformation.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In “The Making of an Allegory,” Honig illustrates how the family structure is altered and strengthened by Gregor’s transformation and, in turn, his seclusion. Honig’s syntax defines his article and gives the reader an excellent idea of this complete metamorphosis of the family. An effect of this is depicted through Mr. Samsa, seen through the cracked door of Gregor’s room, as he now “holds himself very erect,” dresses “in a tight-fitting blue uniform with gold buttons,” and “his black eyes dart bright, piercing glances.” By using syntax such as Honig does, he explains how the change in Gregor has brought about a change in his whole family, most notably his father. He accompanies this with a great deal of imagery, including “above the high stiff collar of the jacket his heavy chin protruded...[and] his usually rumpled white hair was combed flat…” Honig’s interpretation of this change displays to the reader that Gregor’s family was affected just as much, if not more, than Gregor. The depressive nature of Gregor towards his father’s new behavior portrays his seclusion and essential worthlessness. These transformations become the center of attention when Mr. Samsa begins hurling apples at the misshapen Gregor. This scene illustrates the retaking of his position as head of the family even as Mrs. Samsa, “her hands clasping his father’s neck, [begs] for Gregor’s life.” Honig’s intention is to make clear how he…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the “Kafka’s fantasy of punishment”, Author Kaiser reveals and scrutinizes more insightfully the significant meaning of the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa. In Kaiser’s point of view, Gregor’s transformation is a “self-punishment for his earlier competitive striving aimed against his father.” His unintentional emotions toward his father are beyond hatred, which is interpreted by Kaiser as an oedipal jealousy intended for the mother. However, that is not the manifest struggle between the son and father. It is Gregor’s bold ambition costs him to suffer. Before his catastrophic metamorphosis, the son takes up the position as head of the family as a result of business failure of his father. He begins to work assiduously to sustain the whole family;…

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His body has changed drastically yet he still has chores to do and his regular activities to get on with. “When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach in his bed. He lay on his tough, armoured back, and, raising his head a little, managed to see—sectioned off by little crescent-shaped ridges into segments—the expanse of his arched, brown belly, atop which the coverlet perched, forever on the point of slipping off entirely. His numerous legs, pathetically frail by contrast to the rest of him, waved feebly before his eyes.” (Puchner…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Leaving behind his desires as a human being all he will think about was his father’s debt and how much he will have to work to help his family. Gregor had earned so much money that he was able to meet the whole family expenses. We can see evidence in the…

    • 1069 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first person to encounter Gregor as a bug is boss whose response is fear. Gregor tries to assure his boss that he should not worry because '"a man might find for a moment that he is unable to work, but that's exactly the right time to remember his past accomplishments'"(15). Gregor's desire to be remembered as he was, instead of as he is, reveals his, and Kafka's, discomfort with their new conditions. The security of Gregor's family is threatened by his inability to work; this factor motivates his family's members reactions to him. Throughout the novel, each time Gregor's father encounters him, he responds with hostile actions. For example, when his father first sees him out of his room, he is eager to push him back in, shoving Gregor so hard that he "[bleeds profusely and flies in]"(19). In another scene, Gregor's father becomes enraged to the point that he throws an apple at Gregor and it stays lodged in his back. Gregor's father's hostility signifies his unwillingness to accept Gregor as a bug and the changes brought with it. Gregor's father's characteristics are shared with Kafka's father, who was insistent on controlling him. Gregor's sister, contrastingly, is initially compassionate towards her brother. It is worth noting that Gregor's sister, Grete, is the only other character in the novel who receives a name; the other…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    CHARACTER ANALYSIS ? SAM SPADE The mystery and the crime in are obviously paramount in the development and success of a good crime fiction novel, but anther key concern must certainly be the protagonist. Especially in hard-boiled fiction, where the detective is your eyes to the unknown world in which the novel is placed.…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gregor Samsa

    • 1474 Words
    • 6 Pages

    A continuation of the previous quote reaches key points of Gregor’s family and work relations, “I’d like to see my boss’s face if I tried that some time; he’d can me on the spot. Although who knows, maybe that would be the best thing for me. If I didn't have to hold back for my parents’ sake, I’d have given notice long ago” (4). Gregor Samsa lives to please his parents, yet he goes further than going to work on time to bring a smile on his parents’ faces. He willingly sacrifices the minimal joy of his own life in order to bring a bit of sublimity to his family. While it may seem out of pure empathy and love, a larger force designates Gregor signed a pact making him the indentured servant of his family, he serves the same function as any of the other maids or cleaning ladies whom the Samsas swap often. He’s worth hardly anything, similarly to the women who come by the house submitting to the Samsa family to acquire cash going home. Gregor works hours at a time at a job sucking the humanity out of him, literally transforming him into a creature so unrecognizable to society as a living being worth respect. Gregor suffers repeatedly, taking figurative slashes and whips from someone he performs labor for. His value is even lesser to his general manager, who lacks the decency to learn a simple fact or give human qualities to the object working for him, “‘Herr Samsa,’ the general manager now called out” (10). The manager lacks beyond just polite mannerism, he literally objectifies Gregor over and over yelling commands and sticking an identity as the property of the business. Yet, Gregor never opposites such treatment signifying his custom to treatment less than humane. Gregor Samsa is a victim and indentured servant of corporate exploitment and his family’s fiscal…

    • 1474 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gregor's transformation absurdly exaggerates his shape, voice, and senses to exemplify how his physical mutation into a vermin and inarticulate struggles represent his alienation from society. "When Gregor Samsa woke up, [...] he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin" (Kafka 2). Because Gregor perceives himself of having the lowest form of life, it becomes appropriate for him to transform into a mammoth insect, instead of any other animal. Gregor's "painful and uncontrollable squeaking mixed in with the words could be made out at first but then there was a sort of echo which made them unclear, leaving the hearer unsure whether he had heard properly or not" (Kafka 4). His inability to communicate with the family does not allow him to express any of his own personal needs and thus leaving him to fail in living his own life. Gregor "perceived things with less clarity, even those a short distance away: the hospital across the street [...]was not visible anymore" (Kafka 21). His range of vision literally becomes smaller and his new and more suitable state as an insect allows his one track minded nature of only perceiving what is necessary for his family more appropriate. Although Gregor's human form represents the norm, his selfless mentality and meaningless existence isolates him physically from society.…

    • 740 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Throughout the novel Kafka constantly utilizes depressing language that emphasizes the hopelessness of Gregor’s situation. From the very start, Gregor describes his unappealing (and helpless) physical state as a bug and contrasts it with a pretty picture of a lady with lots of fur next to him. “What has happened to me? He thought. It was no dream” (106). By acknowledging that it is really not a dream, Gregor comes to accept his dire circumstance and seals his own fate with the profound realization of his situation. Kafka’s utilization of Gregor’s point of view in such…

    • 1379 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays