METAMORPHOSIS:
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himself transformed in his bed into horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly to able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.
HE SAID:
~~~~~~~~ “What’s happened to me?” he thought it was not a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little to small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table — Samsa was a travelling salesman — and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilled frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.
Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad. “How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense,” he thought, “and that’s something I was able to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn’t get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was. He must have tired it a hundred times , closing his eyes, so that he wouldn’t have to look at the floundering legs, and only stopped when he began to feel to mild, duul pain that he had never felt before.
“Oh, God,” he thought, “what a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out: doing business like this makes more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. it can all go to hell!”
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He felt a slight itch up on his belly; pushed himself slowly up on his back towards the headboard so that he culd lift his head better; found there itch was, and saw. He was covered with lots of little white spots which he didn’t know what to make of; and when he tired to feel the place with one of his legs he drew it quickly back because as soon as he touched it he was overcome by a cold shudder. He slid back into his former position. “Getting up early all the time,” he thought, “it makes you stupid. You’ve got to get enough sleep. Other travelling salesman live a life of luxury. For instance, whenever I go back to the guest house in the morning to copy out contract, these gentlemen are always still sitting there eating there breakfasts. I ought to just try that with my boss; I’d get kicked out on the spot. But who knows, maybe that would be the best thing for me.
If I didn’t have my parents to think about I’d have given him my notice a long time ago, I’d have gone up to the boss and told him just what i think, tell him everything I would, let him know just what i feel. He’d fall right off his desk! And it is a funny sort of business to be sitting up there at your desk, talking down at your subordinates from up there, especially when you have to go right up close because the boss is hard of hearing. Well there’s still some hope; once I’ve got the money together to payoff my parents’ det to him — another five or six years I suppose — that’s definitely what I’ll do. That’s when I’ll make the big change. First of all though, I’ve got to get up, my train leaves at five.”
the next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he would have to rush like mad the collection of samples was still not packed, and he did not at all feel particulary fresh and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his boss’s anger as the office assistent would have been there to see the five o’clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor’s not being there a long time ago.The office assistant was the boss’s man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely strainedand suspicious as in fifteen years of service Gregor have never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor’s recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And that’s more, would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact, apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel completely well and felt much hungrier than usual.
The chamge in Gregor’s voice is probably could not be noticed outside through the wooden door, as his mother was satisfied with this explanation and shuffled away. But this short conversation made it so the members of the family were aware that Gregor, against their expectation, as still at home, and soon his father came knowking at one of the side doors, gently, But with his fist. “Gregor, Gregor,”he called, “what’s wrong ?”And after a short while he called again with a warning deepness in his voice: “Gregor! Gregor!” At the other side his sister came plaintively: Gregor aren’t you well?
STRUGLES IN CHANGED “B” FORM:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gregor struggles with his transformation and attempts to get out of bed, realizing how difficult even the simplest task have become. He reflects on his responsibilities as a traveling salesman and his fear of missing work, even while being in such a debilitating condition. His concern about being jugged by his family and employer increases s the cheif clerk arrives to investigate his absence. Gregor, determinded to pove himself, makes an effort to move, but his physical limitations remind him of his helplessness.
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