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Franz Kafka

The document provides an analysis and summary of Franz Kafka's classic short story "The Metamorphosis". It discusses how the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, wakes up transformed into a giant beetle and is unable to communicate with his family. It examines how existentialism is a useful lens for understanding the story and Gregor's feelings of alienation, estrangement, and reduction to an insect by the modern world and his self-absorbed family. The story is seen as an allegory for how disability can impact family relationships and one's sense of humanity.

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Tiger Lee
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276 views2 pages

Franz Kafka

The document provides an analysis and summary of Franz Kafka's classic short story "The Metamorphosis". It discusses how the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, wakes up transformed into a giant beetle and is unable to communicate with his family. It examines how existentialism is a useful lens for understanding the story and Gregor's feelings of alienation, estrangement, and reduction to an insect by the modern world and his self-absorbed family. The story is seen as an allegory for how disability can impact family relationships and one's sense of humanity.

Uploaded by

Tiger Lee
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Franz Kafka’s classic story The Metamorphosis is about a traveling salesman “Gregor

Samsa” who wakes one morning to find himself changed into a giant beetle. Unable to
communicate with his family, though he can understand them perfectly, the story charts
the degradation of his humanity as he loses contact with the world around him. All
aspects of the original story are faithfully reproduced. The dialogue sticks closely to
Kafka’s original (albeit translated) words, while the art style is sympathetic – caricatured
enough to suspend any requirement for belief in the transformation while being
expressive enough to portray complex emotion.

Kafka’s original became a classic because it’s an honest fiction about how disability can
affect a family, especially if it’s sudden and seriously debilitating. By providing us with a
visual interpretation, the metaphor is perhaps diluted a little further, reducing the power
of our own imaginations to turn Kafka’s bug into our own worst insect nightmare.
However, this is a compassionate retelling of a fascinating novella that increases the
accessibility and broadens the audience without dubbing down the content.

The existentialism approach is useful to “open up” this story. As we’ve read in the story
that Gregor found himself became a beetle that couldn’t speak. It is absolutely against the
nature law. Existentialism is a term applied to the work of a number of 19th- and 20th-
century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, generally held that the
focus of philosophical thought should be to deal with the conditions of existence of the
individual person and his or her emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts. The
early 19th century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, posthumously regarded as the father
of existentialism, maintained that the individual is solely responsible for giving his or her
own life meaning and for living that life passionately and sincerely, in spite of many
existential obstacles and distractions including despair, angst, absurdity, alienation, and
boredom.

"What's happened to me," he thought. It was no dream. His room, a proper room for a
human being, only somewhat too small, lay quietly between the four well-known walls.
Above the table, on which an unpacked collection of sample cloth goods was spread out.
Technically, there were no scientists who can proof that human being can turn into an
animal, even a beetle. Well, in this case, 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,
Gregor's family is only concerned with the effect Gregor's change will have on them,
specifically the effect it will have on their finances and reputation. They are more than
willing to take completely gratuitous advantage of Gregor; he works to pay their debt and
they are happy to indulge themselves with luxury.

Existentialism is a philosophical approach that rejects the idea that the universe offers
any clues about how humanity should live. Gregor Samsa was trying to hide himself from
his family that he was turned into a beetle. As we’ve read in the story "Gregor," his
father now said from the neighbouring room on the left,"Mr. Manager has come and is
asking why you have not left on the early train. We don't know what we should tell him.
Besides, he als wants to speak to you personally. So please open the door. He will be
good enough to forgive the mess in your room." Gregor could understand his family and
his manager words, because technically he was a human being. However, his family and
his manager did not understand every single word of Gregor since he turned into a beetle.

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