Gregor was the most unselfish person in
The Metamorphosis. This characteristic shows with his
dedication to his work.
He was the only family member with
a job, believing he was the only one capable of it. Sacrificing
his social life for his work, he had no friends at work, and
never went out at night. His only hobby was fretwork, sitting
alone in his room. The only person he was ever intimate with
was his sister Grete.
His devotion to his work was
remarkable. In all of the five years he had worked for his
father's creditor, he had never once been absent. Always
ready to go out on his rounds as early as possible, he never
took advantage of time for a break. By the time he got back,
the other employees were still eating breakfast.
Under the
belief that he was the sole provider for the family, Gregor
took up a job with his father's creditor, before even
consulting his family. They, at the time, were of course
impressed. The flat they were living in was chosen by
Gregor. Making enough money, he hired a cook and
servant. He was even thinking of sending Grete to the
conservatorium to further enhance what he believed to be
musical talents.
Even after his metamorphosis, he never
asked for much. Showing his concern for others' wellbeing,
he hid under the couch so as not to disgust anyone by his
sight. Although they brought him food everyday, he barely
ate any of it. He even wished he were not such a burden on
the family, and that he could have transformed back into his
old self. All of the actions mentioned above displayed
Gregor's unselfishness.
After his metamorphosis, nobody
indicated they were grateful for what he had done. After his
first absence, the chief clerk himself appeared at Gregor's
house to see what was the matter. When Gregor did not
open his door, the chief clerk accused him of stealing the
company's funds, and degraded him in front of his parents as
being insubordinate. After the transformation, Gregor's
father gave little or no love or support. Instead, he had hurt
Gregor many times while ushering Gregor back into the
room.
Grete and her mother do, for some time, show a little
support. After having Gregor around for a while however
Grete asserted that they should somehow get rid of him. At
this point, Gregor realized that his family no longer loves him,
and gave up on life. Although Gregor did aid his family in a
critical time of need, they hardly acknowledged this fact after
his transformation. They never even tried to understand him.
For the past five years, he provided for his family, and when
he needed them, they did not care. After his metamorphosis,
they all got jobs, something Gregor thought they were
incapable of. After his death, they moved out of the flat,
which was too expensive for them, leaving all of their
memories, starting anew without him.
