Character Profile

Prepared by: learnloophq@gmail.com

Last edited 11 days ago by Learn LoopHQ.

Chapter: 04. A Strange Transformation

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Character Profiles

Gregor Samsa

Traits:

Transformed: Wakes up as a “monstrous verminous bug,” with an “armour-hard back,” “arched abdomen,” and numerous, uncontrollably “flickering” legs. His voice is a “painful squeaking.”

Dutiful and Responsible: Despite his terrifying transformation, his immediate concerns are about his demanding job and his family’s financial dependence on him. He endures his disliked profession “for my parents’ sake” to pay off their debt.

Resentful of Work: Finds his job as a traveling salesman “demanding,” filled with “stresses of trade,” “irregular bad food,” and superficial relationships. He dreams of quitting once his family’s debt is clear.

Isolated and Powerless: Finds himself unable to move his new body as he wishes or to communicate effectively, leading to a profound sense of helplessness and separation from the human world.

Practical: His initial internal monologue focuses on mundane issues like sleeping position, waking up late, and catching the next train, rather than the horror of his physical state.

Relationships:

With Parents: Feels a strong sense of duty and obligation to support them financially, viewing it as his primary reason for continuing his detested job.

With His Job/Manager: Resents the work and his superior, anticipates a “blowup” due to his tardiness, and feels constrained by the professional expectations.

With Himself: Grapples with the shocking change to his identity and body, struggling to reconcile his human mind with his insect form.

Gregor’s Mother

Traits:

Concerned: Demonstrates worry for Gregor’s well-being and routine, calling out to him when he is late for work.

Caring: Her voice is described as gentle (“cautious knock”) when she checks on him.

Relationships:

With Gregor: His mother, who relies on his income to manage family debts and checks on his morning routine.

The Manager

Traits:

Authoritative: Represents the demanding and unyielding professional world Gregor is trying to navigate.

Impersonal: His concern is solely for Gregor’s punctuality and performance at work. He later hears Gregor fall and refers to it generically as “Something has fallen in there,” unaware of the tragic reality.

Perceived as Overbearing (by Gregor): Gregor imagines him “talk[ing] down to an employee” from his desk.

Relationships:

With Gregor: Gregor’s superior at work, whom Gregor fears displeasing and to whom his family is indebted.

The Servant Girl

Traits:

Routine-Oriented: Opens the apartment door “as usual” with a “firm tread,” indicating her regular duties.

Relationships:

With the Samsa Family: An employee who performs household tasks.

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