Work in Metamorphosis
When Gregor first wakes up in his insect body, the first thing he thinks about is work. He completely disregards his disgusting form and tries to get ready for work. This shows that work is very important to Gregor and is a huge part of his identity as the money-earner for the family. This might be a stretch, but I think that the reason Gregor had such a minimal reaction to his transformation is because he had already lost all dignity and self-respect for himself and as such, he is okay with seeing himself as a cockroach considering how he already saw himself as such a lowlife. This lowlife attitude can be seen when he thinks about himself when he talks about his family. Even though his dad is a lazy bum who leeches off Gregor's paycheck despite being healthy, Gregor seemingly has no qualms with him. Even when Grete starts treating Gregor like a pet cockroach, feeding him moldy foods, he still appreciates her greatly. No matter how horribly his family treats him, he always v...