When it comes to describing Gregor's life before his transformation, the first word that should come to our minds is "unhappiness".
Gregor is miserable at his job; he thinks to himself what a "grueling" job he has.
As a traveling salesman, Gregor feels that his position in the company is utterly low. He considers himself underappreciated.
When he describes his job, he talks about the "torture of traveling", how he worries about changing trains, that he eats "miserable food" all the time, and he also complains about his relationships, because they never last nor do they become more intimate.
