Franz Kafka is the author of the German novella, "Die Verwandlung" or "The Metamorphosis." It is said to be one of the outstanding works of fiction in the previous 20th century. Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up to find himself changed or metamorphosed into a terrible insect. Man is a rational animal. There is the human side that rushes forward to stand beside those who are old or ailing, those who are suffering from dreaded ailments like Aids or Tuberculosis but on the other hand after the initial hype society lapses back into indifference and crass cruelty. Calculations are made about how much is being spent to look after the old and the sick - the non-productive family members of society forgetting that once they had been productive. .
Since being an insect in one day suddenly can never be acceptable from a common sense point of view, initially Gregor thinks it to be a dream. However, slowly realizes his position seeing the reactions of his family members - his parents, sister and that of his office colleague. His sister cares for him attending to his changed dietary habits; he begins to prefer rotted scraps of food from fresh milk with bread, which was something that was previously his favorite. Although his speech had changed and so too his thinking powers he could comprehend the anxiety of his family without his earning they were facing financial difficulties. This was the focus of their discussions. He also comes to know that his father and sister were preventing his mother from seeing him in this terrible changed condition; they were sheltering her as if from some evil. He heard that his sister's hopes for the future, to learn to play the violin, were dashed. .
Slowly, Gregor becomes more at ease with the transformed body and he begins to crawl up walls and the ceiling for fun. His sister accordingly removes the furniture and this makes him unhappy as he helplessly tries to save a favorite picture.
