There is no escape. Often people try to escape from their present situation, only to see that they are trapped in another. This is certainly true for Gregor in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis," as he attempts to escape from his entrapment in his job and duties for his family. Gregor's desire for freedom is exemplified in his dreams that one day he can pay off the family debts and quit his job, to which he is answered by his metamorphosis. The restrictive demands of his work are relieved because of circumstances beyond his control and act temporarily as a form of escape. This escape is short-lived and ultimately does not bring freedom for Gregor, because he is now permanently imprisoned in his room by his family members. Thus, when Gregor works, he is enslaved by his job and his duties for the family, and when he doesn't he is held in bondage by his family in a room. The room highlights the improbability of freedom and the failure of escapism by draining away his hopes for freedom when they seem closer than ever, showing that people will always be held in bondage and escape is unattainable.
             When Gregor becomes an insect, he is constantly plagued by guilt, which at first stems from his inability to fulfill his family duties. From the room, Gregor listens to the conversations between his father and the rest of the family and is racked by guilt every time monetary issues are mentioned, or whenever he thinks about the pain that he unintentionally inflicted upon them by not being able to support them economically anymore. Gregor, despite being a visually repulsive creature, is still part of the family, and so the family has an obligation to take care of him in his current state; the room that originally kept him locked and isolated from the family was now increasingly becoming another burden for the family. The room physically required the services of her sister, and was also a mentally disturbing, revolting portion of the hous...