He enjoys his job and is like and respected at work.

He wants to prove that he can become a human again.

He believes that he is only imagining that he is an insect.

He feels responsible for the financial support of his family.

First-person: the story is told from Gregor’s perspective.

Third-person limited: though in third-person, the narration limits itself to Gregor’s perspective and thoughts.

Third-person omniscient: the narration covers the thoughts and actions of all of the characters in the story.

Third-person omniscient: the narration remains focused on Gregor’s perspective, however it occasionally branches out to other perspectives (i.e. the Samsas, following Gregor’s death).

Gregor's love life

Gregor's dreams of owning a fur business

Gregor's work life

Gregor's dreams of being rich

That they are bankrupt and are forced to sell the apartment

That he has come to an agreement with Gregor's boss about his starting work again soon

That he has managed to save up some money to help them survive without Gregor working

That the entire family must return to work to help them pay for the family's expenses

They are never there, scared Gregor will get loose.

They talk in soft voices and choose to never stay there alone.

They are always loud, so as to drown out Gregor's noises.

They constantly have company over to make it seem like their life is normal.

He hides under the couch with a white sheet.

He stands upright to act more like a human.

He tries to speak to them in calm, soothing voices.

He hangs from the ceiling so they can walk on the floor freely.

a. All right, people did not understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him… But at least people now thought that things were not all right with him and were prepared to help him.

Gregor’s serious wound … (since no one ventured to remove the apple), seemed by itself to have reminded the father that … Gregor was a member of the family, something one should not treat as an enemy.

He was filled with sheer anger over the wretched care he was getting.… Without thinking any more about how one might be able to give Gregor special pleasure, the sister now kicked some food or other very quickly into his room.

d. Because the lodgers sometimes also took their evening meal at home in the common living room, the door to the living room stayed shut on many evenings. But Gregor had no trouble at all going without the open door.

Gregor's father has spent all of the family's money.

Grete has earned her own scholarship to the music conservatory, which pleases Gregor.

Gregor's father, mother, and sister have all returned to work to support the family.

The Samsa family has agreed to send Gregor back to work in his condition.

The family rotates who visits Gregor in his room daily.

Grete and her mother move back all of the furniture they previously removed from his room.

The family leaves open Gregor's doorway so that he can see/hear them as they spend time together.

The family allows Gregor to dine with them at dinner.

That everyone turns into a bug so that they can all be together

That he returns to human form to rejoin his family as normal

That he can spend all of his time with his sister as she plays the violin

That he can return to work to support his family again

In these lines we are shown Gregor at his most human throughout the story, valuing art and love over money.

Kafka is suggesting that music is the only way to remain human.

The love Gregor feels for his sister and her music brings him greater joy than his work.

These lines suggest that Gregor could have changed his way of life, that the cure for his unhappiness was in what he values.

It shows his grief over his insect-son dying.

It reveals his guilt for shooing Gregor back into the bedroom the night before, so he does the same to them.

It represents what Gregor could never do: stand up to his employer (or in the case of the renters, people who gave him money).

It represents the breaking of a subservient employer-employee relationship, while also confirming Mr. Samsa did believe the insect to be his son through his anger and grief.

Grete

Mr. Samsa, Gregor's father

The three men or new lodgers

Cleaning woman

Gregor's father re-injures Gregor and leaves him to bleed out.

The cleaning lady poisons Gregor's food.

One of the three men squashes him out of surprise.

He simply dies, tired, sad, and having been locked in his room for good by his sister.

They mourn Gregor and hold a funeral for him.

They board a train, are content, and discuss happier plans for the future.

They throw a party in celebration of his death.

They are arrested, having been discovered for killing their son.

Living like an insect can make you feel like one.

The daily grind in earning a living can eliminate one’s humanity.

We are as we perceive ourselves to be.

Allowing others to take advantage of one’s generosity can lead to tragedy.