Gregor Samsa woke one morning from uneasy dreams and found himself in bed no longer quite a man. He had a train to catch and a job he couldn't miss, but there were several legs where there used to be two. His mother called through the door, his father called through the door, his sister called through the door— everyone wanted to know why Gregor was being so difficult. The chief clerk came to see him. Gregor finally opened the door. There was a scream, then another scream, and his career was finished. His father drove him back into the bedroom with a cane and a newspaper, and Gregor learned that doors can be surprisingly dangerous. His sister brought him food. At first she brought him milk. He didn't want the milk anymore. He discovered he preferred the things nobody else would eat. So Gregor crawled beneath the furniture and tried to make himself small. He listened to the family talk about money, rent, and what to do with him. They had depended on his wages. Now they depended on each other. His father found a job. His mother found work. His sister went to work too. Gregor, meanwhile, became a problem that occupied a room. Then they moved the furniture to give him more space, which somehow made him feel he had less. His sister began to play violin. [brief violin line] Gregor crept out to listen. For a moment he remembered that he loved his sister and wanted something good for her. She looked at him and said they had to get rid of him. Not long afterward, Gregor went quietly back into his room and died. The family mourned briefly. Then they took a tram out into the country and talked about the future. They noticed that their daughter had grown into a young woman. Franz Kafka, overlooking the scene, was probably smiling. A man becomes a bug, a family becomes a business, and everyone gets on with life. Except Gregor. Ha ha
