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The Library
of Alexandria

A character in Metamorphosis

Who is Grete Samsa?

By the Library of Alexandria · 2 minute read · Updated 23 Oct 2026

In short

  • Grete Samsa is Gregor's younger sister in Metamorphosis, the novella by Franz Kafka.
  • She initially cares for Gregor after his transformation, bringing food and discovering what he can eat.
  • As Gregor loses his ability to work, she takes on new responsibilities within the household.

Who Grete Samsa is

Grete Samsa belongs to a family that depends on her brother Gregor's earnings as a travelling salesman. When he wakes with a monstrous insect-like body, she initially helps care for his unfamiliar needs. Her care brings the practical demands of his transformation into the family's daily life.

Grete Samsa and the others in the story

Grete brings Gregor food and tries to discover what he can now eat. He hides to spare her the sight of his changed body, though his thoughts remain tied to his family. Their contact involves care, discomfort, and uncertainty about how much closeness either can bear.

How Grete Samsa changes

Without Gregor's wages, the household must rearrange its working life, and Grete carries responsibilities she has not had before. Her new burdens form part of the strain that changes the family's relationships. Through her care for Gregor, the story explores dependence within a family whose ordinary life has been disrupted.

Questions

Who is Grete Samsa?

Grete Samsa is Gregor's younger sister, who initially looks after him following his transformation.

How does Grete care for Gregor?

She brings him food and works out what his changed body can eat. These ordinary tasks become uncertain because his needs are no longer familiar.

How does Gregor's transformation affect Grete?

Grete takes on new household burdens when Gregor can no longer earn money. Caring for him becomes part of a wider change in the family's daily responsibilities.

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