There is something about wearing a uniform that makes a man feel invincible and demands the respect of those around him. When times are tough, people tend to look towards the man in uniform for guidance and to help them overcome a difficult situation. This is evident in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, when Mr. Samsa returns home from work one day in a shiny new uniform to find his wife and daughter willing to respond to his every beckoning and calling. As the uniform becomes increasingly worn and frayed, the family dynamic at home begins to change. But Mr. Samsa isn't the only family member to have felt the power of the uniform. For a brief moment, as he recalls his past, Gregor conjures up memories of a happier time when he wore a lieutenant's uniform in the army. Through Gregor and Mr. Samsa, Kafka demonstrates that men can occupy positions of power without uniform, but they will only feel proud and dignified and command respect if they wear their uniform. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While Mr. Samsa was out of work, he felt degraded and completely useless. Mr. Samsa was supposed to be the man of the house, but it was difficult for him to take on this position when the only breadwinner in the family was Gregor. With Gregor out of the picture, all that changes. Mr. Samsa gets a job that requires him to wear “a smart blue uniform with gold buttons,” a “high, stiff collar,” and a “cap with [a] gold monogram from, probably, some bank” (30) . This uniform ensures that Mr. Samsa is in charge of the house without having to thank anyone for anything. While the uniform gives Mr. Samsa power, he commits his cruelest and most ruthless act against Gregor: throwing him an apple and stuffing it into his shell. This vicious act makes all the family members fear Mr. Samsa. Gregor flees back to his room while Grete screams in fear. Yet it is Mrs. Samsa's reaction that best demonstrates the power a uniform can give a man. Mrs. Samsa “pushes towards [her husband], with her arms around him, totally joining him… with her hands behind [Mr. Samsa's head] begging him to spare Gregor's life” (31). The fact that Mrs. Samsa has to beg with her husband demonstrates the complete dominion that Mr. Samsa now has over her. Samsa's sense of authority deteriorates rapidly. He refuses to take off his uniform even when he is at home. As Gregor notes, his "father slept where he was, fully dressed, as if always ready to serve and expecting to hear the voice of his superior," which causes him to become stained and unkempt (32). When a ruler becomes too powerful, it is customary for people to want to usurp him from the throne, and the deterioration of the uniform shows that this is exactly what is happening to Mr. Samsa. Both the boarders who moved into the Samsas' apartment and Grete begin vying with Mr. Samsa for power soon after Mr. Samsa's uniform begins to deteriorate. Grete finally takes all the power from Mr. Samsa after Gregor scares the three boarders. While Grete asks the family to get rid of Gregor, Mr. Samsa begins “playing with his cap among the dishes left by the three gentlemen” (39). The fact that Mr. Samsa plays with his cap instead of wearing it shows that he is no longer in a comfortable position of power. Being treated like a servant in his home and being told what to do by his daughter made Mr. Samsa lose some of the pride and dignity he..