Exploring Gregors Mental Illness in Kafkas The Metamorphosis

Abstract

Gregor’s Mental Illness in The Metamorphosis An indicator that Gregor is mentally ill rather than having undergone a transformation is the condition of life he had prior to the morning he views himself as an insect. The life of Gregor depicts an individual exposed to a high risk of mental illnesses including anxiety and depression. He was living in his parent’s house and was unable to form any long-term relationships with other people except his family (Jago et al, 997). Financially, he had the burden of his father’s debts, took care of the family, and was barely making enough. When Gregor refuses to go to work the morning of the metamorphosis, he thinks of the mistreatments he has to undergo working with his despot employer. Gregor was living a life that exposed him to mental illnesses that had the capacity to make him think he had transformed into an insect. His narration of life before the transformation depicts an individual exposed to anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders. Additionally, the transformation Gregor thinks he has undergone allows him to escape from all the challenges that were adamant in his life. He wished he could stop going to work and that his family would be involved in contributing to some of the income (Jago et al, 1003). While he worked hard for his family going to a job he disliked, it was a burden that he did not want to carry any longer. The fact that he never complained indicates the need for a different approach to solve his challenges. When Gregor fell into mental illness, he perceived himself in a manner that would make it impossible to work and to have the family rely on him for their needs. The metamorphosis describes an inner...