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I believe the metaphor “metamorphosis” which is also the title of the book is the main concept that represents the physical and mental transformation of the characters (Gregor Samsa, Grete Samsa, and their parents) and it has also impacted their economic life. Beginning with the protagonist,Gregor, he is portrayed as the breadwinner of his family before his transformation to an insect. His transformation has thrown the family in a poor economic stance and led them to transform as well, his dad from weak and calm to a tough man who began to care for the family and his sister to become mature. In general his new appearance has pushed his family members to treat him as a burden regardless of his previous significant contributions to the family, and forced them to be cruel against him in a way. “And of course in his father’s current state it could not possibly have occurred to him to open the door’s other wing to create an adequate passage. He was fixated on the notion that Gregor must disappear into his room as quickly as possible.”  (The Metamorphosis, 35). On the other hand, no matter how his physical form has changed, Gregor was always thinking of the family. “Gregor spent his nights and days almost entirely without sleeping. Sometimes he thought about taking the family’s affairs in hand again, just as he used to” (The Metamorphosis, 67). This shows how caring and thoughtful Gregor is to his family even more than himself.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Pasadena, CA, Salem Press, 2012. Accessed 26 09 2021.

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One theme in “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka is the financial burden illness brings upon the patient and their family. As the sole source of income for his family, Gregor felt responsible for his family’s survival. However, when Gregor Samsa transforms into the cockroach (a symbol for illness or disability), he cannot continue his work as a salesman. As a response, “Whenever the family came to speak of the necessity of someone earning money, Gregor would let go of the door and throw himself down upon the cool leather sofa beside it, burning with shame and sorrow,” (Kafka, 28). Gregor’s guilt reflects the burden that patients bear due to the expensive cost of healthcare and treatment in America. Families often must make significant financial sacrifices, especially if they do not have health insurance or if their insurance does not cover the treatment (e.g., some psychiatric medicine). Despite being over a century old, Kafka paints a vivid picture of how low-income patients must manage their illnesses.

Kafka, Franz, et al. The Metamorphosis. New York, W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.

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Kafka’s representation of familial tension because of Gregor’s transformation can be read as a metaphor for the mental, physical, and emotional toll illness brings on families. Part three climaxes as Grete begins to grow tired of taking care of Gregor and neglects cleaning his room as she used to. Kafka writes that “Setting Gregor’s room to rights…could not possibly have been done any more perfunctorily” (91-92) This is an indication that she is growing weary of caring for him both physically (since she is working a job now) and emotionally (due to the stress of losing her brother). Her weariness goes so far that she even denies that the creature is Gregor all together and insists that he must leave the house. Grete and her parents cannot bear to take care of him anymore because it is simply too taxing on them (Kafka 106). This is an illustration of how difficult and conflicted family members can feel when someone is severely ill. Sickness is stressful for both the patient and the family: the patient is physically healing and fighting to get better, but family and loved ones are trying to make up for the void their ill relative left behind. Family can feel the loss emotionally, financially, or otherwise, and they can start to see the sick person foremost as their illness rather than the human being that they are.  For example, “mom” would stop being primely mom. Instead, she would be “my mom with breast cancer”. This dehumanizing potential of illness is isolating for the patient and a rather toxic coping mechanism of loved ones. It cuts the patient off from their previous life as a healthy person and could, in extreme cases, cause them to believe that they would never get better. This concept is illustrated in The Metamorphosis when Gregor dies after his family gives up on him. It is toxic for loved ones to think this way because it neither helps them support their sick relative nor does it fortify their strength in dealing with loss. All in all, The Metamorphosis is an enlightening take on patient and family dynamics when someone becomes seriously ill, and it demonstrates how a loved one’s response to illness might just make or break a patient’s recovery.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translated by Susan Bernofsky, New York, W.W. Norton, 2014.

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I believe one main idea in Franz Kafka's novella, Metamorphosis, is the blurred lines of identity that come with disabilities and illnesses. As seen in the book, as the story progressed how others viewed Gregor and how he viewed himself shifted away from a human aspect until all they saw him for was an insect, or his illness. By the end of the story his family no longer even viewed him as human, rather as an it, "My parents,' said the sister, pounding on the table with her hands by way of introduction, 'things can't go on like this. Maybe you don't realize it, but I do. I refuse to pronounce my brother's name in front of this monstrosity, and so I say: We have to try and get rid of it. We've done everything humanly possible to care for it and tolerate it"(Kafka 135). In the beginning, they all tried very hard to perceive Gregor as Gregor but as everything developed they all. including Gregor himself, got caught up in the disease and lost sight of who he was. This is commonly seen with patients with disabilities or with chronic illnesses, diseases, etc. whereas the disease develops it takes over their identity. Everyone is a culprit in playing into this. Doctors only see their patients for their symptoms and not all the history and experiences that made them who they were before a diagnosis or even their identity outside of it. This can be seen simply in our language there are cancer patients, not patients who have cancer. We become a world very centered on what may be perceived as our weaknesses instead of our uniqueness.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. New York. W. W. Norton &Company, 2014.

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Throughout the novel "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, a clear dynamic shows the relationship between family and an ill patient. A moment in the novel made the impact of the illness abundantly clear to Gregor as the patient. When all of Gregor's furniture was removed from his room, Gregor felt dehumanized, even if he still believed himself to be a part of their family. Removing his belongings from his room and "taking from him all that was dear to him," the family proved that they no longer saw him as their son or brother (F.K. 77). He was now an animal, or patient, who burdened the family and caused more harm than good. In this section of the novel, the reader also sees a shift in tone from Gregor as he becomes more aggressive and possessive of the last humanizing items he owns. The psychological impact of losing all of his possessions made him indignant and less concerned about the reactions of those around him.

Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Corngold. The Metamorphosis. Bantam classic ed., Bantam Books, 1981.

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Within [In] Franz Kafka's novella  The Metamorphosis, I believe Gregor's physical change represents the largest metaphor in the text for the toll that physical illness can take on a person's emotional well-being and overall enjoyment in life. Gregor was the main source of income for his family, and took pride in being able to take care of all of them. As he underwent his physical transformation, his family began to stray away from him and treat him differently. When the tables turned, and his family was faced with the task of taking care of Gregor, they were not too happy about it. They quickly pushed him away and neglected many of his needs- something he would have never done to them. Gregor began to think of himself as a burden, "burning with shame and sorrow" (Kafka, 28) every time someone mentioned a need or want within the family. The support Gregor needed to heal the emotional contempt he was holding against himself was not given; along with his physical change was an attitude change in the way his family saw and acted around him.  Gregor's physical change into an insect is a metaphor for the change in the way physical illness or change makes people treat you differently, causing the already existing negative toll on your emotional wellbeing to grow even larger. In our world, instead of feeling supported and loved by those around them, many who suffer from physical or mental illness feel guilty for their own state which they are not even able to control. Kafka's text places an emphasis in the important role loved ones play for the emotional well-being of those who are suffering from illness and the significance of letting your loved ones know that they are not their ailment, and in no way does it even come close to defining them no matter what change it brings on a person.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis.
Translated by Susan Bernofsky,
New York, W.W. Norton, 2014

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Within Kafka’s novella, Metamorphosis, there is a heavy emphasis on how food is similar to the withdrawal of our society from those who are fighting for their lives. As his illness progresses, Gregor’s family begins to stop giving him food. Even his sister, Grete, who looked after him the most, started to pull away. Similar to when someone is suffering from a terminal illness, oftentimes the burden that families and communities feel when it seems like there is no hope left is too much for them to handle. This is a major cause for feeling the need to “pull the plug”: to feel that there is no need to use valuable time and resources on someone who is facing a poor, and quickly deteriorating, quality of life. Regardless of personal views, there is a strong social influence to conform to society's views. For Grete, it is possible that the strong influence of her family’s view of Gregor’s illness swayed her decision to stop looking after him. From Gregor’s standpoint, “he was filled with rage at how poorly he was attended to, and although he could not imagine anything he would have liked to eat, he plotted how he might gain access to the pantry so as to help himself to what--despite his total absence of hunger--was his due” (Kafka 91). Gregor, who is openly outraged as to how his family is making decisions about his health, simply wants someone to recognize his pain, even if he can no longer feel it himself. He is set on fighting for himself and for his pain even though it would not necessarily help him in the long run. Like many of those in today’s world who are suffering with terminal illnesses, Gregor wants to show that he is worthy of recovery. Society is much like Gregor’s family, unwilling to see the pain and suffering of others who are at the end of their life.

Kafka, Franz, et al. The Metamorphosis. W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.

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In the book Nurse Becomes Patient, there are many images and lines representing the disabilities and illnesses present in the world. However, the scenes that stuck out the most were the ones that illuminated how the patient feels trapped in their bodies and mind. In the short excerpt, "Dilaudid-Land," the patient feels as though "Part of my brain hammered me with an endless loop of bizarre half-asleep thoughts and half-awake dreams, disconnected and often frightening, while another part of my brain was self-aware and reflective" (C.D). This feeling of being alive but losing control of oneself illustrates the feelings of the ill and or disabled. This line from the book represents Gregor from, The Metamorphosis. While he is in insect form, he has his thoughts and thinks he is still human. While he does not feel the two sides of his brain are disconnected, he cannot dictate his thoughts. He still thinks the same as a human; however, in his new form, he cannot speak, representing the dehumanizing effect of being a patient.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/book/38134.

Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Corngold. The Metamorphosis. Bantam classic edBantam Books, 1981.

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"The Dark Night" painted by Cortney Davis with acrylic and Prismacolor marker on canvas, 10" x 30".

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Repentance and Shame in Respect to Illness

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Repentance and Shame in Respect to Illness

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In When the Nurse Becomes a Patient, there is the image of a black cross in Davis’ painting “The Dark Night.” Davis explains the symbolism of this black cross as “I felt both abandoned and crushed: what was God asking of me?” (Davis, 15). This offers the self-pity of the ill due to not only their physical condition and pain, but also from their loneliness and deprivation. Davis views her hemophilia as a repentance. This overlaps with The Metamorphosis, as Gregor laments his inability to financially support his family (Kafka, 28). Not only this, but his shame from his appearance triggers him to initially lock himself up in his room. The two pieces address the stigma around illness and the isolation patents (patients) experience: Davis with repentance and Kafka with shame.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient : A Story in Words and Images, The Kent State University Press, 2015.

Kafka, Franz, et al. The Metamorphosis. New York, W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.

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A line that stood out to me in When the Nurse Becomes a Patient, by Cortney Davis, was "when I was first discharged from the hospital, I felt fragmented, uncertain, and not prepared to resume any kind of "normal life" (Davis, 17). This quote speaks to the idea of a patient's illness becoming their entire identity. In the hospital, sometimes other aspects of who you are, such as hobbies or interests, can become periphery when you are fighting for your life. This also has ties to our discussion in class about person-first language. When the patient is known by their diagnosis, instead of as a person with a diagnosis, this confusion and floundering Davis experienced can happen. The hard transition from hospital to home life is an area that can be improved upon by removing the emphasis on labels during a patient's treatment. This theme is also echoed in Metamorphosis because once Gregor transforms, he is no longer thought of as anything but his physical insect form. For instance, he wasn’t able to follow his love for music because all anyone saw was a scary insect trying to escape.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015.

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In Kafka's novella "The Metamorphosis", I believe that the symbol of Metamorphosis itself (which highlights physical change) and the effects of illness throughout an individuals life is the most prominent. Throughout the novella, the protagonist (Gregor) is perceived as a strong individual who brings everything to the table in order to support his family. The moment he begins to experience physical change due to his illness, those around him such as his family members begin to treat and view him differently because they take note of his lack of energy and work. It comes to the point in which his family has attempted to isolate him because they no longer see or consider him as "one of them". Alienation takes place because those around him no longer view him the same way as they used to... ("Taking away from all that was dear to him"). The effect that takes toll is that Gregor begins to second guess himself and overthink everything about him. He sees no purpose to himself and his existence and he believes that if he can't provide for his family, he has no reason at all. Gregor's mindset has a drastic change that it could be argued that his appearance isn't the only "illness" he possess. The reader can infer and most likely conclude that the treatment Gregor receives has sent him to a depressive state, which emphasizes the effects of physical change and illness throughout an individuals life.

University of Pennsylvania - School of Arts & Sciences ... https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Kafka_Metamorphosis.pdf.

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In the (books) story When the Nurse Becomes a Patient written by Courtney Davis, strikingly detailed visualization can be drawn from both words and from images. One specific line that stood out to me was “it hovered over me; it felt like a heavy cloak, an amorphous shape that wanted to inhabit me entirely” (Davis 11). This quote specifically speaks to the feeling that a vast majority of patients feel when they are fighting illness: the feeling of claustrophobia and the consumption of their life by their illnesses. When admitted into the hospital, there are very few options for entertainment and distraction. For most, it is hard to avoid intrusive thoughts about their illness as sitting and waiting for recovery is the only way for time to pass by. Within Davis’ quote, she exemplifies this notion by comparing the feelings of claustrophobia and consumption with the visualization of a dark, heavy cloak wanting to consume the body entirely; the cloak being the intrusive thoughts about illness. This theme is also seen within Kafka’s novel, Metamorphosis. As Gregor Samsa’s illness worsens, his family begins to pull away valuable sources of life and (transforms/converts) creates the environment he is in into a “sick room”. They take away his food, his furniture, and all sources of possible entertainment. As he is left with a virtually empty room, he has no other option to continuously ponder about how illness has consumed his life. With the “heavy cloak” weighing down on his newly beetle shoulders, intrusive thoughts fill his mind to the point of total numbness.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015.

Kafka, Franz, et al. The Metamorphosis. W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.

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One line that stood out to me the most in Courtney Davis's When the Nurse Becomes the Patient, was, "...there was no part of me that seemed familiar. Whose skin was this, whose hand? Whose legs supported me"(Davis 25). I believe this speaks to the sort of identity crisis that comes with being diagnosed and living with a disease and illness. We can become so consumed in that disease and one's identity with it, the hospital stays, medicine, symptoms, that life outside it is simply forgotten. The normality once taken for granted can become so lost one doesn't even know themselves without it, as Davis says even her body became unfamiliar. I think this ties back into Kafka's book Metamorphosis because as we saw throughout Gregor's infliction, each day he lost himself a little more. He no longer liked his favorite foods how his favorite music, the aspects of his old life no longer felt familiar to him. This can also be tied into our discussion in class of the person-first narrative of not seeing someone for just their sickness but also the idea that identity within the illness and outside of it is healthy, both makeup stories of the individual, it's when one becomes the single story of that persons life and the other soon is unrecognizable.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015.

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“I owe you my profound thanks; I look upon you with love and immense gratitude; I am forever in your debt.”

Davis’ support group helped her recover from illness. She describes how much her husband and friends were there to support her; how her friends were physically present when her husband couldn’t be. Although she had an admittedly large support group, she still had intense periods of loneliness and hopelessness. Davis admits that there were times where she could not see an end to her illness: where death felt like the only inevitable option. This is heartbreaking because death is never the right choice, and everyone deserves people who will boost them up and encourage them in their hardest moments. Davis had such a support group, but Gregor did not. Gregor was alone for most of his transformation/illness, and his family eventually gave up on him. I imagine that Davis’ “Dark Night(s)” were a lot like Gregor’s entire existence as a creature. The “Dark Night” is a place of utmost despair, feeling of abandonment, and terror. It is loneliness in its most raw form. This characterization overlaps with Gregor’s experience, but the difference is that Davis got through it and it got through Gregor.

Davis, Cortney. When a Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015.

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A painting from the book "When the Nurse becomes a patient" by Cortney Davis.

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One of the ideas that I noticed in "When the Nurse Becomes a patient" is the relationship between the patient and caregiver. (On one hand) Davis mentions quite many times that she had her husband, family members and friends around which made her feel better mentally despite her illness. On the other hand, In Metamorphosis, Gregor has not received as much attention from his immediate family members during his illness.  The painting above symbolises the sorrow  that was inflicted by Davis's pain due to her illness but also we see her husband with a similar sad face at the back of her. This shows that Davis had people who share her sadness and understand her, which is  a crucial act in patient, caregiver relationship.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient : A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015-03-02. Accessed 29 09 2021.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Pasadena, CA, Salem Press, 2012. Accessed 26 09 2021.

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One aspect of Franz Kafka’s novella that was particular to me, was the illustration of the different types of battles that occur when someone gets sick, that of family members and caregivers and more specifically that of the patient. It pained me throughout the novella to read Gregor’s physical, mental, and emotional wellness change, but also how he retained certain thoughts within himself throughout his metamorphosis. When we, the reader, are first introduced to Gregor, he displays an astounding determination that persists throughout the novella. Due to the financial burden that Gregor holds in his family, he is determined to get up for work no matter what. Before the door is even opened, and we continue to see his persistence, he is already trying to cover up and buy time for himself. When his father and sister inquired if he was okay, he "did his best to make his voice sound as normal as possible by enunciating the words very clearly and leaving long pauses between them" (92). It is here that his fight to maintain normalcy begins. What is important to note, is that experiences like these are all unique, and treatment extends medication, or hospitilization. Many families have different financial backgrounds, religious backgrounds, personal belifs, geographical locations etc… And we are able to clearly see the affect that this sickness has brought upon not only Gregor, but his entire family. And although one could assume that his family would have taken more and more care of him due to his importance to keeping the family afloat, his family instead pushed him aside due to the extra burdens they must carry as he cannot fufill his old duties fully. It pushes him all the way to deciding that he himself was the problem in the family, and that by leaving the house he is doing the most good. The ideology behind this thinking is beyond toxic as it is a result of neglect and mistreatment, the thought that he was the problem is not the largest problem at hand, it is the fact that his family, obviously conflicted with many other things, has somehow made him feel and think this way. Situations such as this occur all the time right now all over the world. The importance of acknowledging this will improve the overall outlook on how patients are treated. If changing the entire approach to tackling patients individual situations was adopted everywhere, I believe that a lot more people will have had help, whether that be the patient, or anyone else involved.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis.
Translated by Susan Bernofsky,
New York, W.W. Norton, 2014

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In Davis's story "When the Nurse Becomes a Patient",  Davis's narrative and perspective from being a nurse is able to create a much more detailed and expressive image to the reader of what her life was like in the hospital. In the chapter "The Dark Night", Davis extends upon religion and belief and how its contribution with illness can relate. I quote from the story "At night, it sat at the
edge of my bed, slowly crawling its way into my mind and body. It overtook me; it left no space for prayer..." (Pg. 2). This quote from the story visibly represents the way in which most patients feel for the vast majority of the time during their stay at the hospital. Most civilians connect the hospital to death, not necessarily a place to get better at because non-severe illnesses can be checked out at and dealt with at the doctor's office with mere medication. Based off of the reading, it could be argued that the dark presence that's situating itself at the edge of Davis's bed could be death itself. Another argument that could be presented is the lack of faith, being represented as the dark substance that doesn't allow Davis to pray or think accordingly... It is typically common for those that have been hospitalized to lose their faith due to their lost of hope for getting better, which is able to take a negative impact on said patient. Davis's detailed experience is similar to that of Gregor from "The Metamorphosis". As soon as Gregor was neglected from his family, not only did he feel alone but he felt as if there was no more hope. In Davis's instance, the fact that she felt alone and stripped away from her religion and prayer emphasizes how lonely and hopeless she felt.

“Project MUSE - When the Nurse Becomes a Patient.” Muse.jhu.edu, muse.jhu.edu/chapter/1450916/pdf. Accessed 30 Sept. 2021.

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Something that captivated me within Courtney Davis' When The Nurse Becomes a Patient was the total loss you experience while going through an illness, whether it be mental, physical, or both. Within her writing and expressed through her paintings, Davis makes it clear that almost every aspect of herself was unrecognizable from her point of view. She felt nothing but helplessness lying in her hospital bed, as if every ounce of her self was completely stripped away. Even in a room full of people to help she felt "abandoned and crushed" (Davis, 15) due to the crippling effects that her illness was taking on her mental wellbeing. . Davis also explains to her reader that she did not even feel like she was in her own body, and didn't recognize a single part of herself. This is a direct parallel to Kafka's The Metamorphosis as Gregor quite literally turns into an insect as a representation of his physical and mental illness. Just as there is a similarity within the personal loss of self, there is a similarity within their feelings as well. Both Gregor and Davis felt as if they were burdens for those around them, they felt nothing but hopelessness, and had no desire to be helped as being helped meant taking on a roll they had never experienced previously. It meant giving up the definition and qualities they use to define themselves for new aspects, ones that are unrecognizable. This, I believe is one of the most terrifying parts of illness.

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In the book When the Nurse Becomes a Patient, one particular image and story caught my eye and thought. Titled ‘A Little Bit of Terror’, this story talks about a nurse who is released from the hospital after fully ‘recovering’ but then returns to the hospital as her clinical symptoms worsened as she may have been physically healed, but mentally and emotionally, she was not. She acknowledges that “when I was first discharged from the hospital, I felt fragmented, uncertain, and not prepared to resume any kind of "normal" life" (Cortney Davis, When the Nurse Becomes a Patient). Patients are released everyday from hospitals. Most of them are grateful and relieved to finally be released, but many of them are also dreading life back home. Not every single patient who leaves is ready to step back into the world. Perhaps their physical injury has healed, but it is the unseen that many patients struggle with. Getting treatment is simply more than ensuring your limbs are completely healed, or disinfecting a wound, or having surgery. It involves empathy. The nurse in this particular story experienced the hardships and the reality that healing from sickness or injury comes with. Even though she was physically healed, and at home, it seemed as though she barely recognized herself in her own skin. It was from this experience that she was able to gain insight “into how my patients might have felt when they were released from hospital to home” (C.D.). It is here that she was able to gain some perspective and empathy for her patients. The recognition and knowledge of the different ways a patient needs to heal is extremely important. The healing process does not stop at the patient itself either, a patient could be completely mentally, physically, and emotionally healed, but someone that is close to them could need care. This story addresses the reality of the healing process. Each and every single patient will have their own unique case, whether illness is similar, each person's life and situation is different, thus, this understanding must be adopted globally to ensure that patients are receiving the best treatment possible, and are set up for success.

Davis, Cortney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. The Kent State University Press, 2015.

Kafka, Franz, et al. The Metamorphosis. W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.

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One central idea of Kafka’s novella "The Metamorphosis" is the effect illness has on Gregor Samsa and his family.  Kafka devotes most of his novella to exploring Gregor's mindset than the metamorphosis he undergoes.  In doing so, Kafka discusses the precise impact Gregor's illness and inability to work has on the economic condition of his family.  At the beginning of Kafka's short novel, he states the significance of money or finances in the life of both Gregor and his family. For instance, even after having been transformed into an insect, Gregor is far more concerned with his financial plight than the physical change that has undergone. Surprisingly, his primary concern is that, because he has been turned into an insect, he will lose his job, and therefore unable to liquidate his family's debt. Knowing that he has turned into a giant insect he says to himself, “Before it strikes a quarter past seven I must be quite out of this bed, without fail. Anyhow, by that time someone will have come from the office to ask for me, since it opens before seven” (Kafka, 73). It is noteworthy that the reader does not discover that Gregor is the primary provider until part two of the novella. Five years earlier, Gregor's father lost his business, and “[a]t that time, Gregor’s sole desire was to do his utmost to help the family to forget as soon as possible the catastrophe that has overwhelmed the business and thrown them all into a state of complete despair” (94-95). In conclusion, one of the chief themes or lessons that runs through "The Metamorphosis" is that the unforeseen illness of the sole provider of a household can throw the most stable family into economic disarray and threaten its basic livelihood and survival.  Kafka illuminates this grim reality by graphically showing how hastily Gregor went from being the one who brings the only in income to his family to being a burden on them after getting sick.

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In “When the Nurse Becomes the Patient,” Courtney Davis makes numerous references to her physical, mental, and emotional state.  In particular, she discusses how these aspects of her health deteriorate over the course of her illness and hospitalizations--so much so that she almost becomes unrecognizable.  Vividly, she recalls feeling “stripped emotionally and physically, and totally vulnerable” (Transfusion, Davis). Her characterization demonstrates the hopelessness, helplessness, and despair one typically feels when he or she is very ill or disabled.  Stripped of the independence and self-reliance to which they are accustomed, such individuals especially feel the indignity of being completely at the mercy of and under the care of others. The heavy physical, emotional and psychological toll severe illnesses often generate can make both family members and friends feel and appear unfamiliar.  That is exactly why, during and between her various stays in the hospital, Davis distinctly remembers that “there was no part of me that seemed familiar” (Davis, A Little Bit of Terror). This quote directly parallels the main metaphor, which Franz Kafka sustains throughout "The Metamorphosis." To illustrate, on becoming ill, Gregor transforms into an insect, which is the antithesis or complete opposite of the human form he lived in or enjoyed when he was both healthy and well. It is true that Davis does not turn into an insect in the same manner as does Gregor.  Noteworthy, however, is that the sentiments Davis experiences on undergoing his physical transformation while ill is tantamount to that of Gregor's.

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis & Other Stories. Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir, New York, Schocken Books Inc, 1974.

Davis, Courtney. When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words and Images. https://reader.yuzu.com/reader/books/9781631011207/epubcfi/6/34%5B%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3DChapter08%5D!/4. The Kent State University Press, 2015.

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Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, brings up the theme of the inherent societal pressure to be healthy, or at least to act like you are. Too often, people are forced to prioritize earning money, making it to every event, and putting on a facade of 'health', even when they are struggling. This theme is exemplified in the novel when Gregor’s general manager comes to visit him at home saying “as businessmen – fortunately or unfortunately, as one will – we are very often obliged to suppress indisposition" (Kafka, 35). While taking a sick day should be acceptable, Gregor notes that he hadn’t taken one in five years. Especially with hidden illnesses, patients can often feel compelled to act as if everything is fine and continue on with their lives. In reality, becoming sick is part of the human experience. At some point, everyone has felt the burden of some sort of affliction. While illness occurs at different levels, and a sore throat is drastically different than cancer, this is something common across the human race. This societal pressure is very damaging to patients because the constant stress of upholding one's image and responsibilities is detrimental to the healing process. It also prohibits many people from getting help when they need it, and prolonged avoidance can actually lead to the worsening of illness. Throughout the novel, Gregor feels guilt for not being able to provide for his family and for being sick. But, just like someone with depression or a cold, his metamorphosis isn’t something he can magically fix. By changing the way we think about getting help for illnesses and removing the societal pressure to ignore them, we can improve the health of everyone.

Kafka, Franz, et al. The Metamorphosis. New York, W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.