Life can go on without you

This is my blog/ reflections on The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka and published in 1915.

The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, is a young man who is hardworking and takes care of his whole family, comprising his father, mother and younger sister. His parents and sister are completely dependent on him. Gregor knew that if he did not work, he would not be able to care for his family, and they could not lead their lives. He loves his little sister and is planning to save money and send her to a music school to learn the violin because of her interest in it.

In his normal routine, one morning, he suddenly cannot wake up; his body has changed into a gigantic insect!! His parents and sister come knocking; he is hardly able to move from bed, and he is not able to understand what is happening to him, while his office manager reaches his home to check why he has not reported to work. His parents apologize to the manager on behalf of Gregor, fearing he might lose his job and their lives might become difficult.

Slowly, days pass; Gregor remains the same, his sister brings food daily to his room and he manages to survive on it. His parents realize they cannot depend on Gregor anymore, his father begins working as a bank messenger, his mother begins to sew and sister also begins to work. When Gregor was working, his parents could barely move around, and his sister stayed at home. As soon as Gregor could not care for them, they began working and even rented out a room in their house. What a pity!

The changes in his family make him feel guilty. Loneliness takes over as he is unable to interact with others and is feeling guilty as he cannot support his family. Seeing things changing around him, Gregor stops eating and is always sad. One day, when the tenants find Gregor and make an issue out of it, Gregor’s family decides to get rid of him. But before they could, Gregor had died in his room out of starvation and grief. His parents and sister step out of the house together after many days, relieved. They decide their next course of action and realize each of them has their own job and is fine with it. They choose to move into a smaller house and continue their lives happily.

All through his life, Gregor believed that if he did not work, his family would not be able to survive. He never cared about rest or taking a day off. Yet, when Gregor was no longer there, the family moved on and lived happily.  

Sometimes, in life, we feel that without us, the work or the task cannot continue, whether in our families or workplaces. But Gregor’s story reminds us that the show can go on without us too. The belief that life cannot move forward without us is only an illusion. But in reality, it does, maybe even better without you! Come out of this illusion and begin valuing yourself. Allow yourself a break, a rest, a good meal, a vacation, or even a dress you once thought you could never afford. Life will go on, but your well-being is in your hands.