Franz Kafka, through “The Metamorphosis”, exhibits the limits of familial loyalty and love which reveals the abhorrent reality: unconditional love in the modern world is fictitious. The contrast between Gregor’s love for his family and theirs toward him clashes. The absence of loyalty in the families bond is what drives them to mistreat and use him. Even in the midst of Gregor’s metamorphosis his parents neglect him and his needs. Mr. Samsa throws apples at Gregor to show the reality of the family’s true feelings towards him. Furthermore, Gregor never has a cross thought of his parents or his sister, instead, mid death he meditates on their good qualities. Gregor loves his family even though they don’t feel the same.
After Mr. Samsa loses …show more content…
This neglect resulted from the inadequate affection that his family showed for him. Grete from the beginning fed and cleaned after Gregor. Even though Grete did take care of Gregor for some time, her taking care of him became a mechanical routine done out of necessity instead of love. As her visits became more frequent, they weren’t done with the same quality and neatness as before. “The cleaning up of Gregor’s room could not be done more hastily. Streaks of dirt ran along the walls, fluffs of dust and filth lay here and there on the floor.” (41) Gregor also felt the neglect of his mother. The mother was living in the same house as her son, she could easily visit her son all the times she wants. The mother and the father let Grete do all of parental work that they would have the responsibility for. “His mother incidentally, began relatively soon to want to visit Gregor… But later she had to be restrained by force… When she cried out, ‘Let me go to Gregor, he is my unfortunate boy!’” (30) A mother that genuinely loves her child would immediately look for her child’s welfare before her own. On the contrary, Gregor’s mother thinks about herself instead of Gregor. She doesn’t think about Gregor, she only meditates on her, and her misfortune of having a son that is a