The Plight of the Scapegoat in a Dysfunctional Family
What it’s like being the target of blame
In Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up to find himself morphed into a giant cockroach. No longer bound to his arduous existence as a salesman who obediently and robotically provides for his sister Grete and his parents, Gregor metaphorically and literally embodies his feelings of dehumanization as an insect.
Having shifted from the role of heroic provider to an inconvenient source of strain, Gregor’s repugnant form as a burdensome parasite plagues him with distress. Incapable of accommodating his family’s needs and demands, he incurs their disgust and contempt. His fears are confirmed when they turn on him. Forced to find jobs and take in boarders to make ends meets, intensifies their outrage. Hence, Gregor becomes the sacrificial scapegoat; the repository for his family’s frustrations, fears and characterological defects.
Like Gregor, many of the folks who seek me out for complex trauma treatment were relegated to the role of family scapegoat. Perceived as a threat by disordered caregivers, they became the dumping ground for lineal pathology. These survivors, groomed to serve as a dumping ground for projected blame and shame, were systemically pummeled with psychological and emotional abuse.
