Section 2

Summary

Gregor awakes from a deep sleep to find that a basin of milk has been left for him. He tries to drink it but discovers that milk, which was his favorite beverage, is no longer palatable. The family spends the evening silently in the parlor. Gregor feels a twinge of pride for having provided his family with this quiet life in a fine apartment and begins to worry whether it will all end for them now. Then Gregor, feeling unsettled beneath the high ceilings of his room, spends the night squeezed under the couch.

The next morning, Grete opens the door and, spying him beneath the sofa, immediately shuts it with a cry. She fortifies herself and tiptoes into the room to retrieve the basin of milk. Noticing that it has not been drunk, she removes it and returns with a wide selection of both fresh and fetid foods. When she leaves, Gregor gratefully gorges himself on the foods that appeal to his new state. Grete notes his preferences, and this routine of bringing and removing food while Gregor hides under the couch becomes the norm.

In these early stages, Gregor listens at the keyhole whenever his family discusses anything. In this way, he learns that their financial situation is slightly better than he thought. Still, money must soon be earned. His mother is asthmatic, and his father hasn't worked for the five years since the collapse of his company. Gregor's secret wish is for Grete to continue her violin studies at a conservatory, but this she cannot do if she becomes the breadwinner of the family. Gregor is overcome by shame.

Grete, despite the kindnesses she shows her brother, is unable to bear looking at him. To make things easier on her, Gregor manages to drape a blanket over the couch so that no part of him remains visible while she is in the room fulfilling her duties. Gregor's father restrains his mother from seeing him at first. At last she demands to be allowed to see her son. One day, Grete and her mother enter to remove some of the larger furniture. Grete has noticed the tracks left by Gregor's sticky feet as he crawls over the walls and ceiling of his room, and she sees that his movements would be much less hindered if his bureau, desk, and other furniture were removed. Gregor's mother feels that removing the furniture might send Gregor a message that the family has given up all hope of "an improvement," and that the absence of furniture will disturb him when he "comes back to us." Grete prevails, though, and the two women begin to remove the furniture.

When much of the furniture is gone and the women are out of the room, Gregor dashes out from beneath the sofa and looks for something to preserve. He crawls up the wall and clings to the face of a picture he loves. Gregor's mother collapses in shock when she catches sight of him. Grete threatens Gregor and then rushes out of the room to fetch medicine for their mother. Gregor follows, wanting to help, but he only succeeds in startling Grete. She rushes back to administer to the mother and slams the door behind her, shutting Gregor out of his room. Nervous and worried, he scurries all over the floor, walls, and ceiling of the parlor, eventually collapsing of exhaustion on the middle of the table. Gregor's father comes home, and though Gregor attempts to pacify him, the old man, standing erect and self-assured from working again, chases his unfortunate son around the room. At last the father begins to pelt Gregor with apples. One penetrates Gregor's back, producing excruciating pain. As he blacks out, Gregor sees his mother rush screaming from his room and beg his father to spare his life.

Commentary

Particularly in this section of the story, commentators intent on biographical explanation have read into Gregor's father a portrait of Kafka's own somewhat boorish parent, with whom the author had a complicated and fairly destructive relationship. The fusillade of fruit is an uncontrollable, instinctive reaction to the presence of his transformed son. The father is no thinker, no philosopher, and no great spirit either. He does not understand the unrecognizable son and cannot really hope to. His assault of apples is a pathetic rage of incomprehension, almost pitiable--but nonetheless lethal, easily penetrating the son's armor. Remorse follows, no doubt, for there are no more attacks, but the damage has been done. In this reading, of course, the monstrous insect is Kafka himself.