Gregor's reaction is not what one might expect. His main fear, in the opening of the
story, is the consequences of being late for work; indeed, his transformation is less horrific
than it is inconvenient, as Kafka describes in great detail the difficulty Gregor has in moving
around in bed or in getting out of bed.
It's not that Gregor is unaware of
what has happened to him; he recognizes that his body had horribly changed, that instead of arms
he has many legs which he seems largely unable to control; he even recoils as if from a
"cold shower" when he touches his body with one of his legs. He closes his eyes so he
won't have to see himself.
One way of thinking about the opening is that
Gregor is fixating on his daily routine to distract himself from what he has become. On the
other hand, is it also possible that Gregor's slavish sense of duty to a demeaning job has
literally transformed him into an insect. Either way, Gregor's reaction is not one of horror,
but anxiety and resignation.
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