We are told that Gregor has the job of working as a
travelling salesman so that he can support the rest of his family, his parents and his
sister, who do not work. Thus his job is incredibly important to all of their
well-being, which perhaps explains how upset and concerned his parents and Grete are
when he is unable to get himself out of bed and misses his train at the beginning of the
novel. However, it is obvious that Gregor does not enjoy his job. He feels "condemned"
to work there and finds it very exhausting and soul destroying. He is an example of a
man who is ground down by an impersonal job that forces him to engage in work he has
little care for, yet he has no escape. Note what he "says" to his
superior:
"And
then, I have to take care of my parents and my sister. I'm in a tight spot, but still
I'll work my way out again. So please don't make things more difficult for me than they
already are."
We see a man
who is forced into a job to support his dependent family without any liking for this
job, yet with no escape.
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