In the story "Metamorphosis," Gregor is transformed into a bug. However, he soon becomes greatly worried (not about this physical change), but about going to work and providing for his family.
Although Gregor should be concerned about his physical change, he is greatly worried about his job. For example, he is worried that his boss will be upset with him and wishes that he could quit. Gregor has become so focused on his work that he seems to miss the vital components transpiring in his life. For example, we see in Gregor's thoughts that:
"If I didn’t hold back for my parents’ sake, I would’ve quit ages ago. I would’ve gone to the boss and told him just what I think from the bottom of my heart. He would’ve fallen right off his desk!"
These thoughts occur after his transformation. Despite his metamorphosis, he is greatly worried about the stress of his occupation.
Furthermore, these thoughts and stress reveal that he is also greatly worried about providing for his family. Despite the family's eventual ability to provide for themselves, Gregor feels as though he must lift his family's entire financial burden. As a result, Gregor works himself to the point of exhaustion and spends most of his time consumed with work (prior to his transformation).
Thus, Gregor's worries bring some insight into what truly matters to Gregor. Because he is so worried, we can see that he feels as though he must work to provide for his family. This demand seems so heavy and pressing that he ignores the other more vital components in his life.
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