The ending of The Metamorphosis suggests that Gregor’s family is better off without him.
At first, when Gregor’s family discovers he has been transformed into an insect, they are horrified. They want to kill him, because they believe he will be a burden on them and their finances. Throughout the story, we see that Gregor is an incredibly hard worker and provides for his family in many ways. However, once Gregor’s transformation into an insect is complete, it becomes clear that his family would rather leave him behind than take care of him or deal with his disability. They replace all of the furniture he was using and throw out his clothes so that there will be no trace left behind of what happened to him. At the end of the book, when Gregor dies, his sister says “That was God’s doing!” but she does not seem sad at all—she seems relieved and happy that this problem has been solved.
The ending also suggests that Gregor’s sacrifice was not in vain, as his family is now able to move on with their lives.
While many people might think that this would be an unhappy ending because it involves death and loss, it actually ends up being quite hopeful in some ways.
