Bug or Human or Both?

Although Gregor experienced a somewhat supernatural transformation by initially being a human and then changing into a vermon, it was evident that throughout the novel Gregor still was able to think and feel emotion like a human. Kafka effectively depicts Gregor's emotion and sentiment towards his sister, Greta, "And yet his sister was playing so beautifully...Was he an animal that music so captivated him?" (45) However, while Kafka conveys the idea that Gregor is so attracted to the music because of his transformation into a vermon, ultimately it is the human emotion that Gregor has for his sister that makes him feel so attached to the music. Thus, although Gregor has the appearance of a vermon, even towards the end of the novel he still is able to feel those same humanistic emotions and feelings. Kafka illustrates Gregor's admiration for his sister when he writes, "His sister should not be compelled but would remain with him voluntarily... his sister would break out in tears of emotion, and Gregor would lift himself up to her armpit and kiss her throat..." (45). Through this scene, Kafka effectively portrays Gregor's inward outward self with Freud's model of the id. While it does appear that Gregor's fantasicization of his sister may be a more sexual impulse, ultimately Gregor's attachment towards his sister is a result of his loneliness and isolation. Gregor is not subsequently releasing his id but rather he is trying to show the emotion that he is feeling to his sister; after being so accustomed to helping the family financially, ultimately Gregor has become a monster in his family's eyes and desires the responsibility that he recently had. Gregor's unfortunate transformation into a bug goes beyond the release of his id; rather, Gregor's inward ourward self is a depiction of what we all have to face in our normal lives. For Gregor specifically, his appearance significantly affected the way his family thought about him, but still because of his unselfish inner nature, he did not question the metamophosis that he had experienced.