PLOT

 Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up one morning to find that he has
transformed into a giant insect.
 He realizes that he has missed his train to work, and he begins to worry about his job.
 His mother, father, and sister Grete knock at his door, but he cannot speak or open the
door.
 His boss, the Chief Clerk, arrives and scolds him for his tardiness. Gregor finally opens
the door, but the Chief Clerk is horrified by his appearance and runs away.
 Gregor injures himself when he squeezes back through the doorway.
 Grete begins to take care of Gregor, but she becomes less and less attentive over time.
 Gregor overhears his family talking about their finances, and he feels guilty that he can
no longer support them.
 Gregor's mother and father decide to move his furniture out of his room so that he can
crawl more freely, but Gregor is upset by this and climbs the wall to place himself over a
picture of a woman.
 Gregor's father returns home and pelts him with apples, one of which injures him
severely.
 Gregor's family takes on three lodgers for additional income, and Gregor feels even more
ignored.
 One night, Grete plays her violin for the lodgers. Gregor is deeply moved by the music,
and he crawls out of his room to enjoy it. The lodgers are horrified by Gregor and decide
to leave.
 Grete tells her parents that the cockroach, which she can't believe is Gregor, has ruined
their lives.
 Gregor returns to his room and dies.
 The next morning, the charwoman who cleans the house discovers Gregor's body.
 Grete, her mother, and father decide to take off work and go to the countryside. They talk
happily about future plans and finding a new apartment.
The Metamorphosis is a complex and challenging story that can be interpreted in many different
ways. However, the basic plot is relatively straightforward: Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning
to find that he has transformed into a giant insect, and his family and society reject him. He dies
isolated and alone, but his family is relieved of his burden.

DECONSTRUCTIONIST CRITIQUE
A deconstructionist literary critique of the paragraph you provided would focus on the ways in
which the text undermines its own assumptions and challenges traditional notions of meaning
and identity. For example, the story's central metaphor, Gregor's transformation into a cockroach,
can be seen as a deconstruction of the human/animal binary. Gregor is still human in many ways,
but his physical appearance now classifies him as an insect. This forces the reader to question
what it means to be human, and whether or not physical appearance is the determining factor.
The story also deconstructs the traditional family unit. Gregor's family, who once loved and
supported him, now see him as burden and disgusting vermin. They eventually neglect him and
even try to kill him. This suggests that the family unit is not always a safe and supportive place,
and that it can be easily disrupted by factors such as illness, disability, or difference.
On a deeper level, the story can be seen as a deconstruction of the human ego. Gregor's
metamorphosis represents the loss of his identity and his place in society. He is no longer able to
work, to support his family, or to socialize with others. This forces him to confront the fragility
of the human ego and the ways in which it is constructed by social and cultural norms.
In addition to these general themes, a deconstructionist critique of the story might also focus on
specific aspects of the text, such as the use of language and imagery. For example, the fact that
Gregor's family can no longer understand his speech suggests that language is not a reliable
means of communication. And the image of Gregor hiding under his bed can be seen as a
metaphor for the way in which marginalized groups are often forced to hide their true selves
from the world.
Overall, a deconstructionist critique of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" would reveal the story's
complex and subversive nature. It would show how the story challenges traditional notions of
meaning, identity, and the human condition.
Here are some specific examples of how the story deconstructs traditional notions:
 The human/animal binary: Gregor's transformation into a cockroach forces the reader to
question what it means to be human. Is its physical appearance, intelligence, or some
other factor that determines whether or not we are human?
 The traditional family unit: Gregor's family, who once loved and supported him, now see
him as burden and disgusting vermin. This suggests that the family unit is not always a
safe and supportive place, and that it can be easily disrupted by factors such as illness,
disability, or difference.
 The human ego: Gregor's metamorphosis represents the loss of his identity and his place
in society. He is no longer able to work, to support his family, or to socialize with others.
This forces him to confront the fragility of the human ego and the ways in which it is
constructed by social and cultural norms.
 Language: The fact that Gregor's family can no longer understand his speech suggests
that language is not a reliable means of communication.
 Marginalization: The image of Gregor hiding under his bed can be seen as a metaphor for
the way in which marginalized groups are often forced to hide their true selves from the
world.
By deconstructing these traditional notions, Kafka's story challenges us to think more deeply
about the nature of humanity and the world we live in.