The chief clerk is Gregor’s strict supervisor at his job. He visits the Samsas because his subordinate missed the morning train to work. The unfair boss is unhappy with Gregor’s absence and even hints that he might lose his position at the company.
Gregor Samsa is a dutiful employee who has not skipped a day of work before his metamorphosis. As he wakes up from his “uneasy dreams,” Gregor realizes that he has missed his morning train. He decides to take a sick day, but the clerk comes looking for Gregor at his own house.
In the conversation through the door, the supervisor scolds him. He informs Gregor that his “position in the firm is not so unassailable.” He even suspects that Gregor might have kept the company’s money for himself and missed the work for that reason. The injustice done to Gregor is humorous. A single absence caused so much turmoil that everyone came knocking at his bedroom to demand an answer.
When Gregor opens the door, the situation becomes even more ridiculous. He gives a long and thorough explanation of the circumstances to the clerk and family. Nobody can understand his crickets and buzzes. The clerk runs in pure horror, and the family sees Gregor’s new appearance.