The Metamorphosis

Gregor's 17-year-old sister, Grete, begins the novella as Gregor's caretaker and protector. It's she who urges Gregor in a kind whisper to open his door on the morning he wakes up transformed. After Gregor's manager berates him, it's Grete who Gregor hopes will come to his aid. Grete is the only family member who will enter Gregor's room, and she begins feeding him. She has an intuitive understanding of Gregor's needs, bringing him "old half-rotten vegetables" (20), leaving his chair by the window, and trying to make his room more suited to his needs by removing the furniture. Even as her life becomes busier, Grete maintains loyalty to Gregor, keeping "watch to see that the cleaning of Gregor's room remained reserved for her" (37). 

When attending to Gregor, Grete also seeks to "cover up the awkwardness of everything as much as possible" (25) but can't be in his room without opening the window for more air. After dedicating herself to Gregor's care and helping the family earn money, Grete becomes exhausted. By the novella's end, she advocates for Gregor's removal from their home. It's Grete who tells her parents to "rid of the idea that this is Gregor" (44), “this” being the creature Gregor has become. Grete completes her transformation from servile girlhood into womanhood by the novella's end, when her parents notice she's become "a beautiful and voluptuous young woman" (48). 

Gregor's father, Mr. Samsa, has a large presence in Gregor's life in many ways. Physically, Gregor's father has "put on a good deal of fat" (24), having to "heave himself up elaborately" (35) from the chair in which he's accustomed to sit. Before seeing Gregor's new body, Mr. Samsa interacts with Gregor in a firm though civil manner. After seeing Gregor, however, Mr. Samsa becomes angry and violent, hissing "unbearably" (16) and pushing Gregor back into his room. Later, Mr. Samsa throws apples at Gregor, injuring him for the second time. 

Gregor began working because his father's business "collapsed five years previously" (22). After that collapse, Gregor's father became sedentary and dependent on Gregor's income. In addition to supporting his family, Gregor uses his income to pay off Mr. Samsa's debt to his employer. After Gregor can no longer work, Mr. Samsa takes a job in a "banking company" (32). Mr. Samsa refuses to take off his uniform, a symbol of his restoration to family provider, even though it has "stains all over it" (35).