Plagued by Relentless Duty

The Metamorphosis revolves around the notion of duty. Family duty enslaves Gregor from the time before his metamorphosis to his death. He removes his own interests from a situation and acts in accordance with those of his family when he is able to do so. Gregor despises his job and the trek he must embark on every day to get to and from his job. “There’s the trouble of constant traveling, of worrying about train connections, the bed and irregular meals, casual acquaintances that are always new and never become intimate friends” (68). However, he continues working at this job in order to financially support his family.

When Gregor is no longer able to work due to his metamorphosis that was out of his control, he is plagued by guilt for not being able to fulfill this particular duty. “Whenever the need for earning money was mentioned Gregor… felt so hot with shame and grief” (97). In not being able to provide for his family, Gregor feels as though he is failing his family. Despite the fact that his parents and sister are perfectly capable of putting in the effort to work, Gregor finds humiliation in his inconveniencing them.

Gregor further feels the need to protect his family emotionally. They are clearly repulsed by his appearance and react poorly to it each time they are forced to encounter it. Gregor sees it as his duty to hide under the sofa whenever one of his family members walks in so as to not upset him or her. Although this may seem like an immensely courteous gesture on Gregor’s part, I find it to be far more sad in the sense that he needs to hide his true self in order to maintain his family’s acceptance.

Family duty is also prevalent in the case of Gregor’s family members. However, they fulfill their duties only so far as is necessary. After Gregor’s metamorphosis, his sister proceeds to feed him twice a day and cleans his room. As time goes by, she does just enough to claim that she has fulfilled her duty, as she no longer cares what food she brings him or cleans his room. “We’ve tried to look after it and to put up with it as far as is humanly possible, and I don’t think anyone could reproach us in the slightest” (124). At this point she sees her duty to him as a sister as being fulfilled.

Kafka’s characters are plagued with the feelings of duty to their family. Gregor acknowledges his duty to financially and emotionally support his family members whereas Gregor’s sister solely sees it as her duty to physically care for him in return. Thus I would argue that Gregor spent too much of his life supporting a family that refused to reciprocate his effort and devotion.