History Literature / TheMetamorphosis

* LostInTranslation[=/=]{{Woolseyism}}: Kafka's original German manuscript used a peculiar grammar structure for dramatic effect, which could not be translated into English. The German word was not technically "insect", either but a colloquial term analogous to a child using the English word "bug".

* AbusiveParents: Though not outwardly abusive to Gregor, it's pretty obvious that Gregor's parents (and his sister to a lesser degree) are just exploiting him and his well-paying job. The way they treat Gregor after his transformation makes it clear to the reader that they probably didn't deserve the love and care that Gregor gave them.

* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: Gregor Samsa's family [[TearJerker slowly stops believing the bug was ever their son to begin with, [[spoiler:and eventually just leave him to die alone in his room.]]]]

* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: [[spoiler: Gregor Samsa's family [[TearJerker slowly stops believing the bug was ever their son to begin with, and eventually just leave him to die alone in his room.]]]]

* YoungestChildWins: Grete, the little sister who works as a salesgirl, moves on to a better life in the end... to a degree. It's heavily implied that her parents will move on to exploiting ''her'' with Gregor dead and gone.

* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: [[spoiler: Gregor Samsa's family [[TearJerker slowly stops believing the bug was ever their son to begin with, and eventually just leave him to die alone in his room.]]]]

* [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bastards]]: Gregor's entire family. They live off the fruits of his hard work, do little else to help him, and the very second he turns into a bug, they're quick to discard him.

* InformedDeformity (in its {{Theater}} adaptation, for obvious reasons)

* YoungestChildWins: Grete, the little sister who works as a salesgirl, moves on to a better life in the end...to a degree. It's heavily implied that her parents will move on to exploiting ''her'' with Gregor dead and gone.

* CreepyCockroach

* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: Gregor Samsa's family [[TearJerker slowly stops believing the bug was ever their son to begin with, and eventually just leave him to die alone in his room.]]

* ShoutOut: In Film/TheProducers, the con men read through piles of literature to find material that would make for a terrible theatrical show. One of them picks up this story, reads the opening line, and groans "It's too good."

* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: Gregor is technically able to talk to his family at first, but begins to acquire more insect-like behaviors over time.

* ShoutOut: In TheProducers, the con men read through piles of literature to find material that would make for a terrible theatrical show. One of them picks up this story, reads the opening line, and groans "It's too good."
* TheSoundOfMartialMusic: The story takes place in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

A 1915 novella by Creator/FranzKafka, about the salesman Gregor Samsa who wakes up one day to find he has been [[InvoluntaryTransformation inexplicably transformed]] into a gigantic cockroach-insect... thing, focusing primarily on his attempts to cope with this situation and his family's attempts to continue their life, of which Gregor was the breadwinner.

* LifeEmbellished: What with the overbearing father, questionable affections for a sister, and self-deprecating protagonist, the semi-autobiography angle is difficult to completely refute.

* LifeEmbellished: What the the overbearing father, questionable affections for a sister, and self-deprecating protagonist, the semi-autobiography angle is difficult to completely refute.

* LifeEmbellished: What the the overbearing father, questionable affections for a sister, and a self-deprecating protagonist, the semi-autobiography angle is difficult to completely refute.

* LostInTranslation / {{Woolseyism}}: Kafka's original German manuscript used a peculiar grammar structure for dramatic effect, which could not be translated into English. The German word was not technically "insect", either but a colloquial term analogous to a child using the English word "bug".

* YoungestChildWins: Grete, the little sister who works as a salesgirl, moves on to a better life in the end.

A 1915 novella by FranzKafka, about the salesman Gregor Samsa who wakes up one day to find he has been [[InvoluntaryTransformation inexplicably transformed]] into a gigantic cockroach-insect... thing, focusing primarily on his attempts to cope with this situation and his family's attempts to continue their life, of which Gregor was the breadwinner.

Not to be confused with ''[[Literature/TheMetamorphoses Metamorphoses]]'', an epic poem by the Roman author Ovid.

!! Kafka's ''The Metamorphosis'' provides examples of the following:

* MundaneFantastic: Gregor's family, not to mention himself, treat his transformation as bothersome and disgusting, but not as unnatural.

* FreudWasRight

Not to be confused with ''[[TheMetamorphoses Metamorphoses]]'', an epic poem by the Roman author Ovid.

* [[spoiler:ShootTheShaggyDog: Gregor dies as a giant insect, while his family moves on to a better life without him.]]

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: The characters have a fairly dull reaction to Gregor's inexplicable transformation into a giant bug, all things considered. It's treated as a burden rather than a horrific and traumatizing sight that forces them to question reality.
** The family's relative lack of reaction has led some people to interpret the story as Gregor only ''thinking'' he has become an insect. His family is reacting to his bizarre behavior and insect-like sounds, not his appearance.

** The fact that Kafka himself had severe daddy issues in RealLife makes this aspect of the story a favorite for scholarly interpretation.

!! Kafka's ''TheMetamorphosis'' provides examples of the following: