Franz Kafka, an outstanding writer of the 20th century, is the creator of many controversial literary works, which still cause many debates among researchers in our modern era. . His collection of works features many elaborate themes such as the labyrinths of bureaucracy, physical and psychological brutality, parent-child conflicts, and mystical transformations. Yet it is the theme of the limits of sympathy in his 1915 novel, The Metamorphosis, that is arguably his best work. It is Kafka's extensive use of symbolism that not only vividly illustrates this argument, but also allows readers to understand and appreciate the work as a whole. Kafka thus uses Gregor's monstrous appearance, the movement of his furniture, and Grete's changing attitudes to describe this critical idea: even sympathy between a given individual and his family has its limits. The transformation of Gregor's appearance into a “monstrous vermin” (Kafka, 3) is the first register of symbol readers. Although Gregor remains impartial and unaffected by this drastic change, his family immediately shows a struggle between feelings of sympathy and feelings of repulsion upon discovering his change in state. His own mother would have taken “two steps towards” (Kafka, 14), as if to approach Gregor and begin to provide him with the care she desperately needed in this situation. However, these two steps are all she takes before she collapses (Kafka, 14), since she cannot bring herself to get any closer to him. The physical separation between her and Gregor, brought about by his grotesque looks, is therefore symbolic because it illustrates that the sacrificial love commonly associated between a mother and her child does not. exist, because she was not willing to travel further...... middle of paper ... because it would limit their own future. Thus, readers can easily interpret how the family is unwilling to sacrifice their own desires. and plans to help Gregor with his recovery or adaptation. If the family has an occasion where they wholeheartedly sacrifice themselves in Gregor's name, this is not apparent in the short story, Kafka's emphasis on symbolism, through his examples of Gregor's hideous appearance. the removal of her furniture and Grete's changing attitudes add many layers to the short story's depth and overall meaning, audience understanding, and its main theme of the limits of sympathy. It is through these means that Kafka successfully describes how family ties will develop limits, despite the unconditional love of its members.Works CitedKafka, Franz. The metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Books, 1972. Print.