As Gregor adapts to his metamorphosis, his climbing on the walls of his room draws the attention of his mother and sister Grete to arrange his furniture. Johnston’s interpretation of their acknowledgement of Gregor by entering the room together for the first time is significant in that it emphasizes the process of Grete’s growing influence in the family. First and foremost, while Muir describes Gregor as a ‘mass’, Johnston calls him a ‘splotch’, which effectively lowers his status and value but also denotes the insignificance shown towards him in the scene. He is equivalent to a mere speck on the wall. Johnston’s translation treats Gregor and the situation like a foreign subject that his mother and Grete are unable to empathize with or understand. The tone and mood of Johnston’s translation are more tense and filled with anticipation; it is obvious that fear and confusion are very present as the main theme of his novella. In the first line, Muir’s word choices focus on Grete’s impact on and relationship with her mother. Through Muir’s use of the word “succeeded,” it makes it seem that Grete intentionally aimed to frighten her mother. Muir’s translation makes Grete sound manipulative while Johnston’s translation does not imply a correspondence between Grete and a continuous intention to exert control. Interestingly, Johnston’s use of the word ‘raw’ to describe the mother's scream makes her sound barbaric, while Muir's use of “loud, hoarse voice’ makes her seem as if she had been straining herself through the difficult time period of Gregor’s metamorphosis. Johnston’s choice of wording might have been for the intent to highlight the paradox between Gregor’s increasing dehumanization despite his steadfast love for his family members, versus the increasing vitality of his family despite their lack of genuine love for Gregor.<br> (Julia M., Joy L., Alessandria G., Kiara C., Erisha B., Katerina H.)

In the beginning of the novella, Grete is the only one in her family who cares for and sympathizes with Gregor. Although afraid of his new insect form, Grete still shows genuine affection for Gregor. She decides to take care of him and is, consequently, the only Samsa to have any contact with Gregor. Conversely, as the novella progresses, Grete’s demeanor and behavior toward Gregor transforms as well. In this section, Grete begins to view Gregor as a burdensome chore. It seems that she has forgotten the insect before her is still her brother manifesting human emotion. It becomes almost unbearable for her to be in Gregor’s presence. In this paragraph, Grete frantically tears the window open, allowing fresh air into the dank and musty air filled room. She does not even take the time to close the door, something she usually did to spare the rest of her family the gruesome sight of Gregor. In this section, we glimpse Grete’s own metamorphosis to independence that occurs later in the work. Here, Grete refuses to remain suffocated by others. (Julia M.)