Franz Kafka Research Paper

The title of the story “The Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka is misleading. Merriam-Webster defines metamorphosis as the “change of physical form, structure or substance, especially by supernatural means, a striking alteration in appearance, character or circumstance”. While there is an obvious change in the appearance of the character Gregor Samsa, it becomes apparent after reading the story, that his appearance is not the only thing that transforms. In the story, Gregor wakes up one morning to realize that he has changed into a giant insect. Not only did he transform into a creature, but he was also stripped of his humanity. The author Franz Kafka uses this symbolism to focus the reader's attention on one character that mirrors himself and his life. Both Kafka and Gregor are traveling salesman from Prague, experience dysfunctional personal relationships throughout their life and suffer from psychological conditions including alienation and isolation. Franz Kafka’s life, a heartbreaking story of human conflict, parallels with the main character of metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa.

Franz Kafka’s feelings of isolation throughout his life caused him to portray characters in his writing as outcasts as a result. The basis of Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis is the effects of isolation on man and it’s impact on life. The use of modernism in Kafka’s writing was a reflection of the characteristic shift from the beauty and innocence of romanticism to the cold harsh reality of life after World War I. Kafka’s lifelong alienation intersects with his work where he draws on his personal experiences to create a protagonist that draws on Kafka’s life.

Haley Moore Mr. Hertzog English 10H, Period 6 16 March, 2015 Metamorphosis In the story “Metamorphosis” by Kafka, a young man named Gregor is ex-communicated from his family when he somehow transforms into a large bug. The Samsa’s mock a typical family by showing how easily they dispose of their responsibility to him. The Samsa’s have built up much debt over the years, and Gregor has taken it to be his duty to get rid of it.

The Metamorphosis through its Metaphors Among the several literary works of the 20th century, The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, stands today as one of the most remarkable and most discussed novels of that century. The Metamorphosis takes the reader into the life of the Samsa family, or more specifically, into the changes that the family suffers after the transformation of the main character, Gregor Samsa, into an insect-like creature. The story develops from the moment when Gregor finds himself converted into a large insect; the physical and psychological effects of this metamorphosis not only affect the main character, but also the lifestyle of the entire family. Due to the usage of different metaphors throughout the novel, the interpretations and critique of this work are wide-ranging. Even though The Metamorphosis has been negatively criticized over time, it has

The oldest of six children, Franz was born in Prague, Bohemia in 1883. He had three sisters and two brothers which both died, one at the age of six months and the other at fifteen months. Franz did not deal with the death of his siblings very well, and later blamed the tragedy on doctors. His father was a hard worker, and spent many hours at work, along with his mother. Franz did not have a good relationship with his father due to his strict ways and high standards, and always felt as if he was a failure. Franz graduated from Charles Ferdinand University

Kafka's short story "Metamorphosis" absurdist novel has a number of absurdities in it for the reader to relate to in their life. There were two that stood out, Gregory, the main charater, turning into an insect and the family carrying on in life trying to not make a big deal out to the situation. In the beginning, Gregory awakes to find himself having difficulties rolling out of bed. Slightly concerned about his troubles with getting out of bed quickly subsided to his worries about missing work. Although some people have experienced this in the past relating this to a bad back or "old age", Gregory knew something was seriously wrong but tried to hide it instead of calling for help. Afterwards, he finds himself having unusual body parts for

Franz Kafka’s story “The Metamorphosis” is one of the most famous novellas of twentieth-century literature. It was published in 1915 and is among his best known works. At first, the story seems to be confusing, but towards the end, we can see the true meaning of the tale. The story is about Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who lives in an apartment in Prague with his family - his mother, father, and sister - Grete. The story begins with Gregor Samsa “found himself transformed in his bad into a monstrous insect.”(269) His metamorphosis has a very significant effect on his family members as they changed their behavior in response to his new look. These transformations bring the attention to how people can transform under pressure. Transform, to the point where they may no longer recognize themselves.

Throughout literary history, certain authors are so unique and fresh in their approach to the written word that they come to embody a genre. Franz Kafka is one such author; “Die Verwandlung” or “The Metamorphosis” is one of his works that helped coin the term “Kafkaesque.” Through this novella, Kafka addresses the timeless theme of people exploit-ing others as a means to an end. He demonstrates this point through showing that a family’s unhealthy dependence on the main character results in that character’s dependence on the family.

However, it is clear, as clear as anything to do with Kafka could be, that Kafka was certainly fascinated by the theme of existentialism, most specifically surviving and responsible commitment in the face of an absurd world – wherein a man is obligated to act morally in a universe where little makes sense. For someone who had at least read some Nietzsche, it is not a large jump to suppose that Kafka was influenced by one of the founders of Existentialism – one who also stands at the crossroads of philosopher and artist - Indeed “Kafka's reading of Nietzsche, evidently extensive and presumably repeated, has left an indelible mark on his work, while the parallels between his work and Nietzsche's are many and striking”

In the 1915 novel called The Metamorphosis published by Franz Kafka is fictional 20th centaury based novel that begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa. He is transformed into a large, monstrous, insect- like creature. The reason why Samsa turned into an insect is never revealed in the novel. In the rest of the novel, Gregor tries to just adjust to his new condition, his parents and sister are repelled by the horrible creature that he has become.

Franz Kafka, born in 1883 in Prague, was described as an intense passionate man who devoted most of his time to writing. By keeping track of Kafka’s diaries over a recorded period of time it is a possibility that Kafka feared that his writing had power over him, putting up a barrier between himself and the writing. He might of done this to keep some of his identity to himself. The Metamorphosis is said to be one of Franz Kafka’s best works of literature because he directly reflects on his personal life.

Metamorphosis is transformation of an insect from an immature form to an adult form. Although this term is ordinarily used in Biology, Franz Kafka uses this term to title his peculiar story. This is a story about a young man named Gregor Samsa, who is a traveling salesman. He is a typical hardworking man trying to pay off debts. However, he wakes up one morning as a human-sized beetle. His parents see him as a beetle, they react negatively, but his sister, Grete, is not so concerned. In months following, she helps him get through the change. Without Gregor working, the family is financially suffering. Gregor dies from an apple thrown by his father. Surprisingly, the families’ lives improve after Gregor’s death.

Existentialism is a philosophy that is often analyzed through literature. Franz Kafka is a key example of the limitless nature of this theme as his many works are divisive in how they connect with existentialism. Kafka is a unique storyteller and his stories have captivated generations since their publications. His background is important in understanding his seeming detachment from his writing. Kafka’s life is described by Ritchie Robertson in “Biography of Franz Kafka” as “strikingly ordinary” with the only notable commentary be centered on his love life and impartiality regarding Judaism, the religion he was born into (20). This lack of biographical excitement about Kafka’s life points one towards believing he was primarily influenced by intrinsic motivation as opposed to being influenced by external forces in his life. This presumption is negligent of considering the influence Kafka’s parents, namely his father, had on him. In his mid thirties, Kafka wrote a letter he intended to give his father. He gave the letter to his mother who refused to pass it to his father on the grounds that he would never read it (Bukala 300). In this letter Kafka wrote, “The effect you had on me was the effect you could not help having” (13). Not only does this declaration display Kafka’s animosity towards his father, but it also illustrates his acceptance that his father had become the man he was through his experiences and that the choices he made regarding his son were based upon

Kafka was a very smart man who did very well in school and also showed great respect towards his teachers. German was his first language and despite his Czech background and Jewish roots, his identity favored German the most. He was enrolled in Altstädter Staatsgymnasium for high school and then proceeded to Charles Ferdinand University of Prague for college. Here he studied chemistry for two weeks before switching over to law. Kafka’s father was very pleased when he heard the news that Kafka

Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a pronounced German novelist and short story writer, he is very well known as one of the main figures of 20th-century fiction (Reference). His work, which vehemence elements of pragmatism and the imaginary, naturally features isolated characters faced by weird or surrealistic predicaments and unintelligible social-bureaucratic powers, and has been inferred as exploring themes of estrangement, existential concern, fault, and incongruity (Reference). The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka's (1916) describing a young salesman’s transformation from human being into giant creature and relating his consequent experiences within his family circle. "Metamorphosis," reflect a recognition on the part of the religion, philosophy, psychoanalysis, political and social criticism, Marxism, and literature that makes Kafka's work is boundless (Reference). No sole interpretation invalidates or finally delivers the story's significance. Its quality of metaphor keeps us talking to each other, against each other, and to ourselves. A novella is a work of prose literature that is generally longer than a short story but not relatively as lengthy as a novel (Reference). The novella arrangement initiated in medieval Italy but did not progress into a complete literary genre till the late eighteenth century. The novella generally describes one specific event or conflict. In Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa a salesman who wakes up one morning and finds himself transformed into a weird insects and conflicts between Gregor and his family describes in this novella following the characteristic of novella. Gregor’s revolution presents a psychosomatically complex consequences with his failure to go to work and afford for his family, while his father and mother must regulate their relaxed lifestyle to meet new financial contests. Furthermore, Gregor’s sister go through a transformation from thoughtful to domineering as she tries to achieve her place as a woman. However, the Metamorphosis constructs on Kafka’s association with the beliefs of existentialism and has often been characterized as an example of absurdist literature. Gregor practices an existential crisis. He is incredulous by the potential