At the beginning of Section 3, Gregor has an apple stuck in his back which he cannot remove because he has no hands, and his family does not want to come near him. His family refuses to speak with him and the only way he knows what goes on is by sitting in the dark outside his room and listening in on their nightly conversations. The family hires a new maid but instead of cleaning Gregor’s room, she comes in and makes fun of him. The family also starts renting out the house for boarders and Gregor’s room becomes a place for their trash and old furniture. Gregor briefly feels some human emotion when he hears his sister Grete play violin, but the joy is only temporary, and his family is quick to return to their original habits.
In the next scene, Gregor’s sister Grete lectures him on the fact that if he actually loved his family he would leave them. She is completely disgusted by his presence, and the realization of the loss of his sister's affection causes him to heads back to his room, completely dejected. As he enters, his sister locks the door behind him. Gregor spends his last living moments alone in his room, thinking about the love his family once had for him. He wills himself to die for their benefit. The next morning the family finds out that Gregor has died, and they are all relieved as Mr. Samsa offers a prayer of thanks. When the maid tells them that she has thrown Gregor’s body out with the trash they are in no way shaken and tell her that her services are no longer needed. The story ends with the Samsa family deciding to take a day trip out to the country to celebrate their newfound freedom.
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