... 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 ... into silence and communicating almost unconsciously with their eyes, they reflected that it was the time to find a decent husband for her. "And it was like a confirmation of their new dreams and good intentions that...

• Word Count: 1320
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... further Kafka's theme of isolation. Kafka instantly sets a fantastically absurd and bizarre mood within the first few lines of the story: "When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin (Kafka 433)." This leaves the reader instantly disturbed. Futhermore, neither the narrator, nor Gregor, seems too concerned with the man ... his room to show his boss and family the transformation he has undergone. When Gregor talks, no one understands a word; his boss states that he has "the voice of an animal (439)." Gregor is c...

• Word Count: 1585
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School