Unappreciated//Raygan Boster

     As I was reading this story one thing was very clear to me. Gregor was the provider of the family but not the man of the household. He did the work while his family lived in the luxury he created for them. Not only that, but no thanks was given but he was still happy to do it. The main thing that was appalling to me is the family was so worried about Gregor when he transformed, but not worried for his just his well-being. His sister took care of him for a while but eventually gave up. It seemed to me they cared for him until they realized that he wasn't transforming back. Once they came to this conclusion, they pretty much put him out of their mind. 

    To be fair, if I was living in a house with an abnormally large beetle who was supposedly my family member, I would be very disturbed. I can't really blame them for not wanting to be close to him or see him for that matter. However, my problem comes from what I stated earlier: the fact that they were not all that upset at his unfortunate circumstances but rather the fact that they had to give up their luxurious and carefree lifestyle to take care of themselves. Also, the fact that they could have been helping Gregor pay off their debts but chose not too is really sad. Gregor took on a load for them that he did not have to and never complained about it. He liked being able to provide for them but he shouldn't have had to in the first place. He was a slave to his job, worked like a dog, and obsessed over it even when he wasn't at work. His family saw this and still did nothing to help. Only when he died did he show the slightest bit of grief over their son. 

    Everyone deserves to be appreciated for more than the money they bring in and the services they provide, especially from their own family. Family dynamics are different for everyone, but I personally do not understand this one and hope to never be a part of one like this. 

I commented on Emma Landry and Samantha Tedder's post. 

Comments

  1. Emma LandryJanuary 25, 2022 at 12:25 AM

    Wow, we shared a lot of the same ideas about this reading! I like how you pointed out the sad truth that the family was more distraught over having to take some responsibility for themselves than they were about Gregor's tragic metamorphosis. The entire family is self-absorbed and definitely took their breadwinner for granted. What sickens me the most is the moment in which his father, a man Gregor remembered as frail and weak, reappears as a very capable, healthy man. This reveals that he had it in him all along to contribute to the household, but he instead chose to take advantage of his son at the expense of Gregor's well-being.

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