The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: Personal Response

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Although I had never read this story before, I knew the very basic plot: a man turns into a bug. After that, I didn't know what else to expect. After finishing, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Even though Gregor turned into a repulsive insect, I still grew to love and sympathize with him. I admired his ability to keep calm and carry on. If I woke up as a bug I would FREAK OUT! Gregor was able to cope and make the best out of a bad situation (up until the end). I felt bad that he was treated poorly by his family, although I can't say that I blame them for acting the way they did. Kafka wrote this story so descriptively that it was easy to become part of Gregor's world.

But what does The Metamorphosis MEAN? What does it teach us? The first thing upon finishing the book I thought about was "how would I react if one of my loved ones turned into a bug?" I honestly, don't know because it would never happen in reality. But that line of thought lead me to consider how I treat people who are different from me. That's something I think Kafka is trying to do here. He's trying to teach us that no matter what our differences, everyone should be treated humanely and with respect. There is probably much more to learn from this book but after reading it just once and contemplating it for a relatively short time, that is what I took away from Kafka's The Metamorphosis.