Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Research Paper

     I have chosen The Metamorphosis as my subject for this paper; I will take a close look at how the death of Gregor Samsa opens the doors to understanding the story. I will give examples of irony through Gregor’s metamorphosis and how this irony brings together the conclusion of the story. Through his death we see the truth behind his parents, which in it’s self is ironic. It is difficult to pinpoint one specific thing to write about in the story; there are just so many things that can be brought to light. If I happen to lose sight of my topic bear with me, there is just so much to be discussed in the novella.

“The Metamorphosis” is a surreal story by Franz Kafka surrounding the transformation and betrayal of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one day, reborn into a large insect. Along with the bizarre and nightmarish appearance of his new hard back, brown segmented belly, and many legs, Gregor only desire is to live a normal life, unfortunately, this is impossible because he struggles to even get out of bed. Gregor transformation into an insect is a vivid metaphor for the alienation of humans from around the world. After losing human form, Gregor is automatically deprived of the right to be a part of society. Franz Kafka could relate to Gregor because he too was mistreated/neglected by his father and worked a job that he was unhappy doing. Franz and Gregor both were providers for their families. Alienation, isolation, and loneliness were not hard to recognize during the Modernity and Modernism time period.

In Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, the character Gregor transforms from a man into a bug, specifically a cockroach. Although Gregor physically changes, he does not change as a person. Gregor merely accepts his new condition as a bug and his family’s continuous abuse and hostility. Gregor’s acceptance of his new bug form is representative of his passive personality before and after his transformation. Gregor’s passivity, in response to the hostile world around him, causes his eventual downfall. Therefore, Kafka uses the character Gregor to exemplify how a passive attitude can cause one’s demise.

Everyone has people they depend on. People that he or she knows will always be there when they’re needed. But what happens when those people just don’t show up or just all of a sudden stop caring? The feeling of loneliness can break down a person’s character and reduce him to a shell, or in this case and exoskeleton, of who he once was. We can see this in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. When Gregor Samsa finds himself transformed into a giant beetle-like creature, what he needs more than anything is the love and support of his family, but he disgusts them. They shut him up in his room so that no one can see him. They are ashamed of him, and quickly forget that he was part of their own flesh and blood. All that they can see is the monster that appears on the on the outside. Gregor’s sister and parents betray his love for them and leave him feeling lonely in the most terrifying and desperate time of his life.

In the metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, there are significant actions and transformations which make the story sad, and strange with a happy ending. Explanations that are dramatic events that intensify the excitement of all these actions. Reality and reflection play an important role in this story because the events that happened could be applied and assimilated with modern society.

For Gregor in The Metamorphosis, life maintained relatively the same after his conversion into a bug. However, the changes of his family around him were extreme. When Gregor first woke up, upon realizing his transformation, his first thoughts were that of work: “The next train left at seven… his sample case wasn’t packed yet… he didn’t particularly feel fresh and lively”(Kafka 12). Even though we was no longer human, even though his life had been flipped upside down, he thought only of how he would get to work. This is because he truly loved and cared for his family. Gregor was the provider of the family, the respected breadwinner, and he wasn’t going to let his new parasitic status change that. However what Gregor wasn’t prepared for was the

Many views of existentialism are exposed in Kafka's Metamorphosis. One of these main views is alienation or estrangement which is demonstrated by Gregor's relationship with his family, his social life, and the way he lives his life after the metamorphosis. Namely, it suggests that man is reduced to an insect by the modern world and his family; human nature is completely self absorbed. Kafka reflects a belief that the more generous and selfless one is, the worse one is treated. This view is in direct conflict with the way things should be; man, specifically Gregor should be treated in accordance to his actions. Gregor should be greatly beloved by his family regardless of his state. This idea is displayed in three separate themes. First,

In “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, the author employs Gregor as a vehicle for not only Gregor’s own metamorphosis, but also the metamorphosis of his entire family. In the beginning of the story, Gregor transforms into a bug that disables his movement. Without his ability to move, Gregor handicaps his family, unable to help pay off Mr. Samsa’s debt. Meanwhile, Mr. Samsa finds a new job at a banking company to satisfy the masculine prerogative of having to work and provide for his family. Additionally, Mrs. Samsa finds her role as a caretaker for Gregor in his helpless state. Even though Mrs. Samsa was afraid of the sight of her son, she still views him in a mutual manner . However, with the fulfillment of Mr. Samsa and Mrs. Samsa finding their

In The Metamorphosis, Kafka establishes, through his religious imagery and gospel-esque episodic narration, the character of Gregor Samsa simultaneously as a kind of inverse Messianic figure and a god-like artist, relating the two and thus turning the conventional concept of the literary hero on its ear. The structure of the novel reflects that of the Gospel of Mark in that it is narrated in individual events, and in this it is something of a Künstlerroman - that is, the real metamorphosis is over the course of the novel, rather than just at the beginning, and that change is a heightened sensitivity to the world in an artistic sense. The motif of change is a rather theological one as well: we see it in a religious sense, in the form of

Kafka was critical in bringing the new outlook on modern culture and particularly on modern man. Franz Kafka studied the modern man in the face of contemporary culture, and how he was steadfast in retaining his spirituality and identity, and gravitate towards authenticity and happiness. However, Kafka saw how the dehumanizing forces of industrialization and capitalism in the post- the WWI Europe posed a challenge to the modern man. Modern culture can be viewed tolerating and open to all. To Franz Kafka, modern culture coupled with technology is fast changing, and man has to maintain his self-consciousness in order not lose his spirituality and identity amidst these changes (Wintle pp. 708-710). Hence, as modern culture changes with the changing technology, religions are poised to change too, which presents fears to a man about losing his spirituality and identity upon embracing the modern culture. Interestingly, Kafka was mystical in his writings, with a keen interest in themes such as metamorphosis, existential and identity. If we look at “The Metamorphosis,” we can view the idea of how the dehumanizing effects of capitalism and industrialism are indicated within the writings. Kafka contends we become dehumanized with buying power and working too much. The transformation of Gregor seems to indicate a denial of responsibility to the changing forms of society’s conventions and values.

1. Gregor’s initial reaction to his transformation, more specifically his worrying about missing the train and dwelling on the hardships of his job, reveals the extent to which Gregor’s own self-identity and way of life is dependent on his work. While most people would probably be horrified to find themselves transformed into a bug, Gregor instantly thinks of his job because that is what comprises Gregor’s identify and without his job he has no purpose or worth in his society. As Gregor contemplates his future, he thinks to himself, “Well, there’s still some hope; once I’ve got the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to him [his boss] – another five or six years I suppose – that’s definitely what I’ll do. That’s when I’ll make the big change” (Kafka 8).

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.

The book Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka was written and published in the year 1915. This book is a very unique and interesting story for the fact that the majority of the book is told in the perspective of a man that transforms into a bug. I like the subject of this book and the interactions that it contains but I do not like the style the book is written in, though this might have been for the fact that it was written in 1915.

The metamorphosis, written by a German author Franz Kafka. Kafka and his "Metamorphosis" is a masterpiece of absurdist literature, but what is the most absurd part in this whole story ?

Writing can seem to some as one of the daily trials and tribulations of life, but for others is an emotional outlet for all of life's hardships. The Metamorphosis, authored by Franz Kafka, exhibits these hardships and struggles. The Metamorphosis is a novella, a short novel, that manifests Kafka's life through the fictional story of a man turning into an insect. This novella highlights Kafka's relationship with his father, Hermann Kafka, which by no means is a loving and caring relationship. Kafka's relationship with his father is difficult and hateful. Kafka wants to always please his father, but he loathes him at the same time. Additionally, the significant problems in Kafka's life stemmed from this relationship, such as Kafka's depressive mental state, and the field of work Kafka's father forced him into. Kafka revealed elements of his own life through the main character, such as their attitudes towards their occupations, mental illnesses, and the relations with their families and significant people, in particular the father figures.