A book that deals with the absurd situation of an average man transformed into a hideous cockroach, The Metamorphosis is a shocking and all-too-true portrayal of human nature and attitudes.  In this quote, taken from the second and third paragraphs of Kafka’s short story, Kafka has already laid out his protagonist, Gregor Samsa’s, problems.  Already, the reader sees that Kafka has decided to mirror the voice of the average man by using a limited use of vocabulary in his highly philosophical novella.  Through plain, commonly used language (“glossy magazine,” “pretty gilt frame,” “fur boa,” “completely depressed”), Kafka is able to paint the scene with straightforward words, colored only by Gregor’s own point of view.  The novel is related in a limited third person and focuses on the reactions and thoughts of the average man: the protagonist, Gregor Samsa.  Samsa lives in a “regular human room,” a room that is very “familiar” to him.  From this word alone, we begin to see Samsa’s tendency to covet the norm, what is close and easily attainable.  A mere “traveling salesman,” Samsa truly does work like a drone bee, mindless and constantly fulfilling his work’s requirements, but making no effort to better himself, to become independent, or to take up responsibilities (he lives in his parents’ home).  

            In this passage, a framed image of a fur-wearing woman is focused upon, a picture that Gregor seems to have cut out by himself and treasured enough to save.  The woman is most significantly, “raising up against the viewer a heavy fur muff in which her whole forearm had disappeared,” wishing to hide behind a façade of furs.  A parallel situation to Gregor’s own hideous one, this woman is a person behind the skins of another animal, but she is covered and concealed.  Thus, we are introduced to the idea of Gregor’s bodily transformation into a cockroach coupled with his still-human thought process.  

            Another highly significant action is Gregor’s “rocking,” a movement that “no matter how hard he threw himself onto his right side” would still send him back to his previous position.  Finally, Gregor’s severe lack of independence and free-thinking has come back upon him physically.  He has transformed and become the mindless insect he acts like in real life.  This useless rocking (like Gregor’s useless struggles to succeed at work), a useless expelling of energy and time, moves Gregor nowhere.  He is stuck in a dependent mindset, always wishing there was someone to help him (at one point, Gregor Samsa hopes that others would help flip him over, but realizes that his door is locked and thus, that would be impossible).

            Lastly, the tone of the entire passage is nonchalant, deprived of any angst, worry, or shock.  Gregor Samsa wakes up and is unfazed by his changed body- he is truly mindless in regard to both himself and others.  He has “responsibilities” placed upon him by his parents and sibling, but he has no expectations or desires for himself (other than to please them). This is the voice of a large child, observing himself with simplicity of thought and idea.