The author of the Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, is known to have a poor relationship with his father. This is relationship is evidently portrayed in his writing. In the Metamorphosis, Gregor's father, Mr. Sampsa has to get a job once Gregor is transformed into a giant cockroach. Mr. Sampsa had not worked in a long time and is described as an overweight man who leeches off of his son.
In part two of the metamorphosis Mr. Sampsa gets a job, it is low level job, yet a job nonetheless. Mr. Sampsa is usually extremely lazy "now, however, he was perfectly erect, dressed in a tight blue uniform with gold buttons like those worn by messengers in banking houses" (37). It seems as though Mr. Sampsa takes a lot of pride in finally having a job and being able to provide for his family. It makes him feel as if he has power and control in a way. Gregor tries to demean his father's "accomplishment" by making it clear that he knows it is very low level job. Usually when one thinks of a uniform they think of someone brave or powerful wearing it like a soldier or police officer, but instead Gregor compares his fathers uniform to that of a "messenger in banking houses".
It is then mentioned that Mr. Sampsa never takes his uniform off, even at home: "with a sort of obstinacy the father refused to take off his messenger's uniform even at home [...] the father drowsed in his chair fully dressed, as if he were always ready to do his work and were awaiting his superiors orders even here" (39). This takes away from Mr. Sampsa's power that he had seemingly gained previously. He is not capable of doing things for himself. At the beginning he relied on Gregor to take control of the family and take care of everything. Now although he is supposed to be the head of the family, he is still looking for direction from someone. Throughout this passage Gregor takes away from his father's apparent successes and belittles him. This reveals the poor relationship that Kafka had with his father.
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