What is gregors role in the family? How is that role about to change? Why does he have so much responsiblity? In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis,...

Up
until his metamorphosis, Gregor was the sole breadwinner for the family, which consisted of his
parents, his sister, and himself. Gregor's father was both demanding and demeaning, expecting
Gregor to pay off his debts and support the family, even though it is traditionally the father's
role to be the provider. Gregor went along, submitting to the humiliation and sacrificing his
own desires to please his overbearing father.

It make the transformation into
an enormous bug an interesting choice. Insects have exoskeletons, meaning they are restricted to
certain and limited types of movement. Exoskeletons also mean there is no spine. Gregor
certainly shows no evidence of a "spine" in our modern vernacular. He doesn't stand up
to his father, nor does he refuse to pay his father's debts. He simply crawls along, doing what
it expected of him even though he is miserable doing it.

Gregor's movements
are also limited, both figuratively and literally. Since Gregor submits to the expectations of
his father, he limits himself in career choice, lodging, and social circle. He lives at home
without friends or hobbies. Once his metamorphosis occurs, he cannot easily move even to leave
his bed. He is ultimately paralyzed by the exoskeleton he created first in his mind, and then in
his own actuality.