Unneeded. Unwanted. Unloved

 At first glance, Kafka's Metamorphosis is absurd. Impossible.

However, looking deeper into the story, it's hard not to cry. 

Even as Gregor goes through the turmoil of a transformation he can't describe, he attempts to keep working. But he's told his worth at work was being questioned before, and now it is officially over. He can't be the employee he needed to be. The devastation is felt even more when he finds out that his family didn't really need his support in the first place.

So, not only is his "worth" now questionable, but his past worth is now nil in his eyes. 

As a type two on the enneagram, my greatest fear is being unneeded, unwanted, and unloved. And God forbid that I should be a burden or obstacle to someone else. I would rather die. Perhaps this is why Gregor's ending is so heartbreaking. Sometimes isolation, the fact that you bring nothing to the table, and are seen as an inconvenience, is death in itself.

But what is more heartbreaking is thinking of myself in the position of Gregor's family. How many times have I undermined the worth or importance of those around me? Maybe because they couldn't offer much to the conversation. Maybe because they were uncomfortably different. How horrible would I feel to have them be like "well, screw this, I guess I'll go kill myself to rid her of the inconvenience of my existence"? 

Worse. Much worse.


I commented on Emily Otts' and Lily Caswell's posts

Comments

  1. Emmett BryantJanuary 23, 2022 at 6:03 PM

    My heart was breaking for Gregor the entire story. But you really put the words to the feelings that I know Gregor was experiencing: unneeded, unwanted, unloved. The truth is we have no idea how many people around us feel this way. They have people that loved them more so out of what they offered them rather than loving them for who they are. Thinking of that while reading this story almost leaves you feeling empty. -- Emmett Bryant

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  2. Emily OttsJanuary 24, 2022 at 10:58 AM

    Gregor found so much of his worth in being able to provide for his family. The fact he no longer could must have been devastating to him. He felt alone and lost all sense of purpose, making him decide dying is better than continuing this new way of living.

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  3. Joshua NaqviJanuary 24, 2022 at 12:35 PM

    You bring an interesting take away from the story. How do we treat our own family members? What you said is true. How often do we mistreat our own family, and make them feel inferior? It is easy to point fingers at Gregor's family and make them the "bad guys". Yet, as you put it how many times do we "undermine the worth and importance of those around"? This is a concept to definitely ponder after reading this distressing story.

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