February 28, 2005 Ivan Illych and Gregor Samsa both face death Compassion of realization before death between the main character in The Death of Ivan Illych by Leo Tolstoy and the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka reveals that both main characters Ivan Illych and Gregor Samsa contributed their life for their family and society and ended up with a peaceful death. Ivan’s belief was to promote on self where Gregor’s aim was to elevate the family status. Summary In the story of “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, the main character Gregor Samsa was a traveling salesman who lived with and financially supported his parents and younger sister. The story started in a small room of small apartment where one mourning, Gregor Samsa woke up to find that he was been transformed into a giant insect and the image of the man-insect lying on his back helplessly waving his little insect legs in the air. Soon, his abilities, tastes, and interests began to change. He liked to scurry under the furniture and eat rotten scraps of food. The family tried to keep him in his bedroom and refused to interact with him only his sister, Grete, demonstrated her concern by bringing
