THE METAMORPHOSIS (German: Die Verwandlung, also sometimes translated
as The Transformation) is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in
1915. It has been called one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th
century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western
world.
The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find
himself trans¬formed (metamorphosed) into a large, monstrous insect-like
creature. The cause of Gregor's transformation is never revealed, and
Kafka himself never gave an explanation. The rest of Kafka's novella
deals with Gregor's attempts to adjust to his new condition as he deals
with being burdensome to his parents and sister, who are repelled by the
horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.