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Illustrated portrait of The three lodgers

A character in The Metamorphosis

The three lodgers

The demanding tenants whose presence reveals the Samsas’ financial decline and precipitates the final break with Gregor.

What they want in The novella’s account

To receive orderly lodging and service on their own terms, without accepting the disorder the Samsa family has hidden from them.

The book

Cover of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The MetamorphosisFranz Kafka, 1915

An impossible transformation exposes how quickly love can become a judgment about usefulness.

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At a glance

Group
Three paying tenants
Household role
Replace part of Gregor’s lost income
Conflict
Threaten to leave without paying

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

The three men rent a room in the Samsa apartment after the family loses Gregor’s income. They expect strict order, occupy the household’s best space, and treat the family as service providers rather than hosts with equal authority.

Their interest in Grete’s violin briefly gathers everyone in one room. When Gregor appears, their disgust becomes a financial threat, which pushes Grete to say openly that he must go.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • Representative middle-aged lodgerOne man represents the clearly grouped character entry.
  • Formal dark suitHis dress is stiff and respectable.
  • Judgmental composed faceHe expects the household to satisfy him.
  • Carefully groomed beardThe lodgers’ uniform respectability is clear.
  • Close engraved bustNo dining table, companions, or violin appears.
  • Muted ochre accentThe warm neutral suits bourgeois authority.
What happens to The three lodgersHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

After seeing Gregor, the lodgers announce that they will leave and refuse payment. The morning after Gregor’s death, Mr. Samsa orders all three men out of the apartment.

If you like The Metamorphosis

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