regularlesbian:

an important thing about the metamorphosis is that gregor is still fully conscious, mentally very human, and capable of speech at the beginning of the story. it is only after he is treated exclusively as an insect, as something to hide, as a tragedy that destroyed gregor samsa rather than being the same, living, person, and accepts all of this, that he loses the last vestiges of his personhood.

could he have continued to live if he was allowed the privilege of being seen as human despite his superficial appearance and utility to capital? should he have been treated with respect despite his permament disfigurement and inability to work? the answer is yes. but rarely are the real people who undergo such a debilitating change, the human beings who are locked away and starved and dehumanized by the family and society who are supposed to care for them, shown such decency. franz kafka certainly was not.