It seems that the people who care the most end up being hurt by those they love. The more time, energy, love and money a person sometimes invests is thrown back in their face once something bad happens. In turn, this causes feelings of worthlessness and isolation and can eventually lead to death. Franz Kafka understands it better than anyone and can describe it in his short story The Metamorphosis. In his short story, The Metamorphosis, the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, undergoes a physical and mental transformation due to the incessant pressures imposed on him by his father which ultimately cause him to die. At the heart of the father-son relationship are Gregor and his father whose relationship is explored throughout The Metamorphosis. This demonstrates the feelings of uselessness that Franz Kafka experiences in his own life. Kafka had a difficult life with his father. His father, Hermann Kafka, had a stern attitude that extended beyond the Kafka family. Some would say he was a bit tyrannical and had an extremely short temper. Kafka's father had a prolific influence on Franz's life and writing style. Mr. Kafka had very little interest in Franz's artistic expression through writing. He attributed much of his personal struggle to the horrible relationship he and his father developed. He used the strain on the relationship as an excuse for why he never had blossoming romances with women or great friendships with those he would meet. Ultimately, Kafka derived his morals and family values, particularly from his authoritarian father. In his writings, many of Kafka's characters were often in conflict with a dominant, controlling power. It was always a power that seemed to want to reach out, no matter how bad the circumstances, he or she would eventually die. Throughout The Metamorphoses, Kafka describes that when someone is stripped of every bit of humanity, that is when people discover that they are truly nothing. “The metamorphosis was the first event in his life over which no one (including him) had any control” (McCarty). It is then crucial for everyone to re-evaluate their life every moment of the day and ask themselves if they are living the life they want or rather if they are fulfilling someone else's dream. Living for someone else and not taking time for yourself can lead to unhappiness and loneliness. When that person doesn't return the same energy as someone who cares for them, it makes things much more difficult. Everyone is their own worst enemy when they exercise learned helplessness.