My Thoughts

[Dark Muse]

I just finished reading this story and I really enjoyed it. It was quite different which is one of the reasons why I liked it so much. I could not help but to find some humorous aspect within the story. Particularly the very beginning I found quite comical, but it was also very touching and sad as well. At first I was very touched by the care the sister had continued to give her brother, before it became too much for her and she started to neglect him.

Though I had wondered at the symbolism and the deeper meaning behind the story, and I have read some of the other posts upon this thread regarding just what was the meaning of the metamorphosis. I thought at first it was a social or class statement, or if it was some statement regarding the daily drudge of people that have signed their lives over to day in and day out repeat the same routine over again, going to jobs they do not really care about and be trapped within the system and loosing perspective on who they really are and what they really want, but becoming "slaves" to the clock, or to "The Man" and the fact that Gregor was working in order to support his family and he always but the thoughts and needs of others ahead of himself.

[Big Dante]

Reading the first page I saw the comical side to the story but as it progressed further I completely lost sight of the funny side of it. The sister' care is very important as it is frightening how alone Gregor was upon her abandoment of him. It also scares me how much Gregor (as the vermin) reminds me of someone from college who completely outcasted just for being... well... himself... It shows how true Gregor's position is for some people that they are truly this excluded and not cared for.

[hypatia_]

i defintely understand "the man" theme you are alluding to. it also could be a representation of the elderly? they begin to depend entirely on others as they age, even as they begin to lose any form of who they used to be.

do you think the sister was justified in giving up? after all, she had to sacrifice her entire life to helping him, and there was no hope he would return to his old self. is it worth it to cast aside any dream of your own future at the cost of duty/obligation to a sibling you barely recognize any more?