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Essay about The Truth of Perception in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

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Everyone is entitle to their own opinion on how they view the world and themselves. As the saying goes “ the world is our oyster” and we can choose to live the life we want regardless of how people may see us. People can choose to see someone by their physical appearance or by the concealed emotional underlay, but it can be different to the way we perceive ourselves. The world does not see eye to eye to what we see. In The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka, the protagonist Gregor Samsa, over the course of one night, suddenly transformed into a “monstrous vermin.” Gregor is now physically separated by his family who can only perceive him as his bug-like structure, which results in the disintegration of his emotional turmoil and…show more content…
When the Samsa’s family first discovers Gregor’s repulsive transformation, Grete is the only person that tries to takes care of Gregor. Grete and Gregor hold a strong and close relationship from the start of the story that deteriorates as time passes. Grete looks up to her old brother because he is the only one that believes in her musical ability. Grete perceives Gregor physically as a critter, but emotionally, Gregor is still her brother and she shows pity toward him and becomes Gregor’s primary caretaker. Grete is Gregor’s only emotional connection to the family, and to all humanity itself. Internal conflicts begin to arise as Gregor begins to feel isolated from his family and confined by his room which he refers to as “imprisonment.”(25) Although Grete is the only one that shows sympathy toward Gregor, Grete perceives Gregor differently than how Gregor perceives himself. Gregor feels distanced from his family because of his physical appearance, something Gregor cannot change, which causes his family to try and think in the perspective of an insect rather than to take Gregor’s human emotions in account. Grete and her mother begin to “[clear] out his room; depriving him of everything that he [loves]”(33) not realizing Gregor’s emotional turmoil as everything from his human life was being taken away from him.
As all the emotions begin to flood Gregor's mind, he decides to act rashly and jolt from under the couch to
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