He is not well! Why else would Gregor miss a train?

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Spoiler Alert: Plot Poem

Gregor wakes up and he's not himself,

But how could he possibly be anyone else?

He waits for a bit - could it go away?

He simply doesn't feel right today.

He's late for work, but how can he go?

You can't ride the train as a vermin, you know.

His boss is displeased, this simply won't do,

Surely now Gregor must know this is true.

Out of your room, come now, chop chop!

Sometimes we're sick, but the work doesn't stop!

Gregor comes out but it doesn't go well,

His bedroom transforms to a prison cell.

At first, his sister is still a friend,

But even she resents him, too, in the end.

His father blames him for scaring the mother,

Throws apples at Gregor one after another.

One sticks and Gregor is suddenly lame,

His father, alas, has impeccable aim.

After this happens, things only get worse,

Gregor is seen as a family curse.

He doesn't eat, starts to just fade away,

Till finally, there's no more Gregor one day.

His family delights, their trial is done,

Poor Gregor, forgotten by everyone.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Dear Readers, 

Well, what did you think? Did you like my plot poem? I've really come to enjoy writing them, so I don't particularly care if you liked reading it. ;) But it would be a win-win if you did. 

I liked this story so very much! It surprised me, since I knew the very basic outlines, and I didn't think I would like reading about a man who woke up and was suddenly a bug. But it was simply charming. It's exceedingly short (only about 50 pages) so if you haven't read it, I highly encourage you to find a copy and read it. 

I've given you the broad brush outlines in the poem, but I thought it would be fun to do a 'digested' version of the story. Here you go!

It begins...

• As Gregor Samsa awoke from unsettling dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. Isn't this a fantastic first line? I mean, SO. Many. Questions.

Gregor's response: 

• What if I went back to sleep for a while and forgot all this foolishness. lololololz. 

Gregor in denial: 

• He recalled how he had often felt slight pains in bed, perhaps due to lying in an awkward position, pains that proved imaginary when he got up, and he was eager to see how today's illusion would gradually resolve. that's the spirit, Gregor, this will just SOLVE ITSELF.

Gregor decides he should really get up.

• And now he began rocking the whole length of his body in a steady rhythm in order to pitch it out of the bed. this is image is just so fantastically amusing to me. 

Gregor's family, to his supervisor from work who shows up at their house:

• Mother - "He is not well! Why else would Gregor miss a train?" Why else, indeed? Certainly not because he's been turned into a vermin. Certainly not that. 

Gregor's sister, and how he responds to her (brief) kindness:

• Would she notice that he had left the milk untouched not from any lack of hunger and bring something he liked better? If she did not do so on her own, he would rather starve than bring it to her attention, although he was was extremely hard-pressed not to dart out from under the sofa and throw himself at her feet to beg for something good to eat.

Gregor's sister does him a solid and does try to bring something he'll like better: 

• To find out his likes and dislikes, she brought him a wide selection all spread out on an old newspaper. adorable. I won't list the foods here, because they might turn your stomach, but suffice it to say it reminded me of Gollum's list of what he had got in his pocketses when Bilbo asks.

Things begin to sour with the fam: 

• In accordance with family duty they were required to quell their aversion and tolerate him, but only tolerate. poor Gregor! Only to be tolerated! Probably doesn't help that when he speaks he makes horrible screeching noises. 

On the fam trying to 'keep up with the Joneses':

• What truly hindered them was an utter hopelessness and the belief that a plight had befallen them unlike any other that had been visited upon their friends or relatives.

On Gregor's love for his sister's violin playing: 

• The sister played so beautifully. Was he a beast if music could move him so? He felt as though the path to his unknown hungers was being cleared. Isn't that a great line? Was he a beast if music could move him so? 

The fam, on why they shouldn't be sad that Gregor is dead:

• You have to try to stop thinking that this is Gregor. Our true misfortune is that we've believed it so long. But how can it be Gregor? Sure, sure. No one likes to think their kid is a vermin. 

 I'll leave you with one tidbit, which is that Daniel-ay shared with me that a modified version of this story has been created, wherein Gregor is transformed not into a vermin, but into an adorable KITTEN. I know. Fantastic stuff. Sharing the book cover here. 

I've reached the halfway mark of this second list, and I'm off to the land of secret gardens. Join me if you want a little of your childhood back. ;)

Keep each other safe, keep faith, and happy summer!