Question: 1. In your opinion, what caused the metamorphosis in Gregor? 2. Could he have done anything to prevent this? 3. How did the metamorphosis symbolize Gregor's being trapped?

I believe that Gregor's metamorphosis was the result of the pressures of an oppressive government, society and culture as well as his own inability to take charge of his life.

Gregor's world had very strict rules about conformity, punctuality, responsibility -- in short, everything a communist society is supposed to be. Everything functioned like clockwork, at least for the ones who made the clock go. The government used fear tactics to control people. Any deviation from this robotic existence was suspect. People were constantly being watched for subversion. Family members were encouraged to "turn in" their siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, children, and grandparents, so when Gregor's boss shows up at the house because Gregor was late to work, his parents' accomodating attitude is not surprising. Under this pressure, it would not be unusual to see a few people crack.

There were family pressures as well. Gregor had an old-fashioned upbringing where the man of the house was expected to work very long hours, usually for very little money. The sons went to work and contributed to the household, and helped to support whatever younger siblings were left at home. The daughters were still used to make alliances with good families, so nothing had really changed, just the setting was different. The parents were strict, demanding respect even if it was undeserved.

In spite of the emphasis on good behavior, there was corruption. Gregor observes his coworkers' lazy behavior going unpunished. He knows if he behaved the same way, all hell would break loose:

"Other traveling salesmen live like harem women. For instance, when I go back to the hotel before lunch to write up the business I've done, these gentlemen are just having breakfast. That's all I'd have to try with my boss; I'd be fired on the spot. Anyway, who knows if that wouldn't be a very good thing for me. If I didn't hold back for my parents' sake, I would have quit long ago..."

Gregor's personality was passive, and that made him resentful. He did not accept life as it was, but felt powerless to change it -- Gregor had plenty of excuses why not to stand up for himself. He rationalized and guilt-tripped himself into inaction, which caused more frustration, more rationalizations, and more inaction. Finally Gregor became the thing that he feared the most -- a helpless bug laying on his back with his feet in the air, unable to turn himself over. Thus, consciously and unconsciously, Gregor assisted in his own demise:

"This artistic dream, become Gregor's reality, sheds light on the intolerable nature of his former daily existence. The other side of his job is its mechanical rigidity, personal rivalries, and threatening suspicion of any deviation from the norm. Gregor himself is part of this world..."

Gregor's transformation was a nightmare come true, "in which Gregor temporarily identified with other downtrodden vermin of society." Kafka could have had Gregor become an invalid in the conventional sense; the result would have been the same but would have lacked the visual impact that becoming a giant bug has. Gregor's family still would have had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, resenting Gregor (as invalids usually are), and thinking only of their own happiness after the novelty of caring for him wore off. His family was extremely selfish; because of his new dependence on them, the tables had been turned and they could not handle it for any length of time, at least not as long as Gregor had been able to handle supporting them at the expense of his own happiness.

So what did Gregor get out of having his family dependent upon him for their survival? While Gregor supported the household, he was the authority figure. As soon as he became helpless and was unable to go to work, things changed. The attention that his mother and sister used to give Gregor was now given to his father, who had to come out of retirement. As long as his mother and sister fawned over him, Gregor did not need to get married. Having his family dependent upon him have Gregor a sense of being needed and a purpose to his miserable existence, but most importantly, the situation gave Gregor the excuse not to try.

It is hard to say whether or not the metamorphosis could have been avoided. The way things were set up, Gregor had to die so his family could live. Gregor's transformation was also a fact that could not be changed; however, the change took place insidiously, while Gregor was asleep. The real question is, had he been aware or admitted to himself that he was changing, would Gregor (Kafka) have done anything about it? People in real life are influenced by their circumstances in much the same way, unconsciously and consciously. Sometimes they are surprised to find they've become the thing they hate. Other times, people are aware of the changes and propel the situation along anyway because they are consumed by hatred. Kafka (and therefore Gregor) did not have any hope of change, and without hope, the only way out is through the grave. While we as human beings cannot avoid being influenced to some degree by others, even in the most desperate of situations there has to be something good to hold on to.

While Gregor may have not been able to avoid becoming bitter and depressed, maybe he could have done some things to prevent a total metamorphosis. He could have fought back a little harder. On the other hand, Gregor ultimately died from infection from the rotten apple that stuck to him after being thrown by his father. The fact that no one removed the apple symbolized how Kafka's father abused him and how no one did anything to help him. Kafka wanted everyone to see his pain, what a rotten, festering mess it was that was eating him alive. How does one fight pain like that?