Chapter 1

The story starts with Gregor Samsa, a young man who's job was a traveling salesman, waking up as a giant insect. His first worries are to get out of bed to get to work without being fired. His familly asks him what is wrong from the outside of his locked door, because he is usually up by the time. However, his new insect body prevents him from being able to get out of bed easily, but he manages to get out only after his boss comes to the house. The managers begins to ask questions and tells Gregor that he is on thin ice. Gregor tries to defend himself, but only speaks like an animal. At this point he has lost his voice. The familly calls for help and Gregor finally gets out of the room. When they see him, the manager rushes out of the room and his familly cries. Gregor tries to catch him, but his father chases Gregor back to his room violently.

Chapter 2

Part 1: Gregor finds that his sister has brought him milk and bread when he wakes up. He finds that he hates it in his new state, even though he used to love milk. He thinks about how his family will do without him, and then crawls under the couch. The next day, his sister, Grete, gives Gregor a buffet of food after noticing that he did not like the milk. She does this to find out what food he likes. Gregor listens in on his family talking about their new financial problems with Gregor gone, but they are not as bad as Gregor expected.

Part 2: Gregor gets into the habbit of placing a blanked over himself so Grete doesn't have to see him. Grete notices Gregor's newfound hobby of climbing on walls. Grete then decides that it would be a good idea to clear the room out of everything but the couch so that Gregor could walk freely. She has the mother, who until this point hasn't seen Gregor since the first day, in to help. Gregor feels as if it's a good idea until his mother tells Grete that it would be making Gregors room a cave, which could take whatever humanity he has left away. Grete turns this idea down and they continue to clear the room. Gregor then clings to a picture that he has always loved. This causes the mother to finally see Gregor and she faints in fear. This agitates Grete and she slams Gregor outside his room to go get medicine for her mother. When the father comes home, he attacks Gregor with apples and he is left with a wound that they do not treat.

Chapter 3

Part 1: With all the family's new jobs, they forget about Gregor and only tend to him as much as is necessary for him to live. The family also gets a new maid who takes an interest in Gregor, but still doesn't treat him well. The family also takes in three lodgers who ask for a lot, and the family always provides. One day, they hear Grete practicing the violin and the lodgers ask to hear her only to be polite. They take no interest. Gregor is touched by the music, showing that he still has humanity in him. He comes out to see Grete better and thinks of how she should come to his room and only play for him. The lodgers see him, though and state that they will leave and not pay rent.

Part 2: At this point, the family decides that the creature can't be the Gregor that they know. Gregor is weak now and filthy and he dies alone in the night. The cleaning woman is the first to discover this. The family all comes to see and they weep. The father kicks the lodgers out and the cleaning lady also leaves in anger. The family then decides to leave the apartment. They discuss their futures. As they ride in the trolly, they notice that their daughter is becoming pretty and may have a husband soon.

Gregor Samsa

A traveling salesman who is tranformed into a giant insect. He is gradually pushed aside as his family starts to see him as a burden more and more. He is isolated throughout the entire novel, wishing to get back to his work and his family.

Grete

Gregor's younger sister and friend. She helps Gregor at the begining of his transformation, but gradually loses interest. In the end, she tells the family that they should get rid of Gregor. She also plays violin, which Gregor respects greatly.

Mr. Samsa

Gregor's father. He doesn't like Gregor and his new form from the beginning. He thinks that Gregor is up to no good. He attacks Gregor twice in the story.

Mrs. Samsa

Gregor's mother. She cares for Gregor, but Mr. Samsa doesn't want her to see him. She does what others say, so her personality is rarely shown.

Manager

Gregor's manager arrives at Gregor's house when he is late and makes false accusations about Gregor when he doesn't come out of his room.

The Cleaning Woman

She is not repulsed by Gregor and likes to annoy him. She talks to him, addressing him as "Dung Beetle". She is the first to see Gregor's corpse.

The Roomers

These three are taken in by the Samsa family so the family can make money. The lodgers order the family around and when they show no interest to Grete's violin playing, making Gregor mad. They are later kicked out by Mr. Samsa after Gregor's death.

Chronological Summary

- Gregor wakes up as a giant bug and strives to get out of bed. This is made difficult with his different form.

- His boss comes his family's house to see why he's late. At this point, when Gregor is trying to explain himself, Gregor loses his voice.

- Gregor gets out of bed and gets out of his room. When his boss and his family sees him, the boss runs from the house and his father drives him back in his room.

- Gregor wakes up to see his sister gave him milk, but he hates the taste in his current state. He also hears about the family's financial situation.

- Gregor's sister gives him an assortment of foods to find what he likes. She also sets up a routine of how she feeds him for the rest of his life.

- After noticing that Gregor likes to crawl on the walls, Grete decides to take away his furniture with her mother's help.

- The mother convinces Gregor, when speaking to Grete, that taking everything out would be a bad thing. In an attempt to save his favorite picture, Gregor clings to it. This scares his mother and she faints.

- The father comes home and, noticing Gregor has left his room, bombards him with apples. This seriously wounds him.

- The family gets a new maid and take in three lodgers who boss the family arround. They have Grete play violin for them, but they don't respect it as much as Gregor.

- Gregor comes out of his room to hear Grete better. The roomers see him and state that they are leaving and not paying. The family starts to dislike Gregor more.

- Gregor dies one night and the cleaning lady sees this and tells the familly.

- The family moves to a new home with relief and discuss their futures.