In The Metamorphosis, Gregor turns into an insect and is ostracized and abused by the rest of his family. Obviously, this has a lot to do with the fact that he is a bug, but I think it also has a lot to do with tensions with his family members that go beyond his metamorphosis. In my opinion, the family's treatment of Gregor is worse than it could have been if it weren't for these tensions.
Arguably the main antagonist in the story is Gregor's father. The physical injuries he inflicts on Gregor (especially the apple throwing) are one of the main causes of Gregor's death. We learn in the story that Gregor was the breadwinner of the family. He was the only one working to pay off the debt that the father had accumulated. Gregor certainly believes (and he's probably right) that his family depends on him. When Gregor is late for work in the beginning of the story, everyone is concerned for him. From this depiction it seems that Gregor is filling the role as the "head of the family," a role traditionally given to the father. By the end of the story, the father has gotten a job and has become very assertive around the house (examples of this include him demanding the lodgers to leave and telling the family that he will fire the charwoman). It seems as if he has been "restored" to his position as the "head of the family." In addition, Gregor and his father do not seem close. There are a couple instances in the book where Gregor thinks fondly of his mother and sister, but he never does this with his father. Likewise, his mother and sister definitely show signs of affection for Gregor, while his father's only interactions with him involve Gregor's father physically harming him. Although it is not explicitly stated in the story, I think preexisting tensions between Gregor and his father made the situation more isolated and abusive than it could have been otherwise.
If I had to pick one character as the antagonist of the story, I would actually have a hard time choosing between Gregor's father and Grete. Gregor's father does more physical damage to Gregor (who I think is definitely the protagonist), but Grete is more responsible for his dehumanization. If you see the central struggle in the story as Gregor's efforts to keep his humanity, then that puts Grete directly at odds with Gregor. Although Gregor sees Grete's efforts to take care of him as a loving gesture on her part, we discussed in class about how this pet-like treatment of Gregor is literally dehumanizing. She is also perhaps more directly responsible for Gregor's death. Although he may have physically have died from the wounds inflicted by the father, he loses the will to live when Grete basically tells him to die. In addition, much as Gregor and his father are at odds over the position of "head of the family," Gregor and his sister are at odds over the position of "pride of the family," at least in the eyes of their parents. At the beginning of the story the parents were so concerned over Gregor and had called Grete "somewhat useless." The story ends on a "happy note" with the family taking digs at Gregor while marveling at Grete's coming-of-age. Gregor and Grete never really seemed to have problems with each other before his metamorphosis, however she becomes directly at odds with Gregor's goals of maintaining his humanity.
The two main antagonists of the story in my eyes are Gregor's father and Grete, and their actions may stem in part from preexisting tensions between themselves and Gregor.
I agree that Herr Samsa is the main antagonist of the story. While him seriously injuring Gregor suggests this, I'd also like to point out that he seems angry at Gregor from the very beginning, which I find quite strange. His initial reaction- clenching his fist with a menacing expression then fiercely driving Gregor back to his room, starkly contrast with the reactions of everyone else. His reaction definitely suggests pre-existing tensions and a backstory to the relationship between him and his son.
ReplyDeleteIt seems apt that, although the reader can make a strong case for Grete or the father as antagonists (and not, like, allies in the common struggle against whatever forces turned Gregor into a bug), Gregor himself never seems to view them this way (except in his most deeply veiled, repressed hostility and rebellious sentiments). There are these antagonistic forces in his life (possibly dating from even before the transformation, as you say), but he never recognizes them as such, and in fact colludes with Grete's stated wish that he crawl away and die at the end. It's a fitting reflection of how fully Gregor internalizes the shame and guilt that his family places on him.
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