It is the allusion of someone doubting what is happening trying to convince some others of something sad or that they don't want to believe or have worked very hard for. This allusion is used very often and then it is usually proved wrong, but in metamorphosis it is not proved wrong. There was a movie that I watched with my family, about a missing boy, and these friends head out to find the missing boy. They find many clues but most of the clues are bad, like blood on the ground or a pack of wolves in the area. One boy says that he must be dead and that they should turn back before they get hurt. They end up finding the lost friend, and he is alive and the other friend feels bad for suggesting that idea. This is most likely used to provoke drama and make the story more interesting stirring up more ideas in the readers head. It works very well on at least me when I am reading something and it is