Samsa Stark

Gregor Samsa is an insect, while he is typically a human, so getting to work in the morning will be different for him in the morning. The Metamorphosis takes place in Prague in the late nineteenth century or early twentieth. In this era, work was the main part of everyones life. Going to a job almost every day of the week simply to live. Although looking back it was a period of innovation and industry, workers led short, uneventful lives. Kafka uses Gregor to show the state of mind the people are always in in this era. “ Once ive got together the money to pay off my parents debt to him[Gregor's boss]- that should take another five or six years- I'll do it for sure. Then I'll make the big break. In any case, right now I have to get up. My train leaves at five o’clock”(Kafka 1) He shows that Gregor cares much more about paying off his parents debt than his own well being. His parents don't even work while he pays off their debt.

Gregor hasn't taken a sick day in his life and yet the manager comes in and calls him a selfish pig head. This shows how the upper levels of society treated the everyday worker, like they were merely an asset and if they neglect their job, they are faulty. “However, now I [The manager] see your unimaginable pig headedness, and I am totally losing desire to speak up for you in the slightest. And your position is not at all the most secure” (Kafka 5) The manager decides that greg is just being selfish in not coming out of his room. He does this whilst knowing greg's typical personality and hardworking mentality. But this logic isn't running through his brain. The manager only sees a cog that isn't turning, in his head, the only options are to force it to turn, or remove it. the cog doesn't get a day off.