In his novel The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka describes his own life through the life of his protagonist Gregor Samsa. Careful study of Franz Kafka's life shows that Kafka's family, workplace, and reaction to the adversity in his family and workplace are just like those of Gregor. So we might ask why Gregor was transformed into a bug since Kafka obviously never turned into a bug. The absurd image illustrates how Gregor lacks self-respect and feels like he's a bug in the eyes of his family and society. Franz Kafka was unhappy and never found his place in life, either. Therefore, he might have felt just like Gregor, like a bug. Furthermore the novel describes Kafka's expectations of his own future and he was partially correct.
The most obvious similarity between Kafka and Gregor is their
negative relationship to their fathers, which is a major theme in the novel and
in Kafka's life. The Kafka and Prague Website describes Kaka's father as "a
notorious tyrant, both to Franz Kafka and to his mother, Julie Löwy." Gregor
fears his father, which is evident in the fact that he keeps working as a
salesman, like his father wants him to, even though he hates that job (Kafka,
2000). Gregor refers to his father as "the father," which signifies that he
feels distant to his father. The father, in turn, acts like a tyrant when he
uses a stick to get Gregor back into his room (Kafka, 2008-9) and throws apples
at him (Kafka, 2019-20). The Kafka and Prague Website concludes that "Kafka's
father was the very opposite of Kafka himself" and that "Kafka's relationship
with his father comes out in some of his books as a hopeless conflict against an
overwhelming powe...
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...e a legacy now has a legacy as one of the most famous writer of the
previous century.
Sources Cited
Coulehan, Jack. 'Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis: Commentary.' 1-29-1997. New
York University Web site. http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/kafka98-des-.html (2-14-02)
Goodwin, Evan. "Kafka". Littlebluelight.com. 07 Nov. 2000. 13 Feb. 2002.
http://www.littlebluelight.com/kafkamain.html>
Kafka and Prague."Kafka and Prague". Tripod.com. 11 Nov. 2001. Tripod.13 Feb.
2002 http://members.tripod.com/Kafka_and_Prague/family.htm>
Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis."The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: WW Norton & Company, 2002. 1999-2030
Samuels, Bridget. 'Kafka's Existentialism.'2000. Personal Website.
http://bridgetsamuels.com/lit/kafka.htm > (3-5-02)
late father. He was also not ready to face the fact that his Uncle marries his mother
When comparing Franz Kafka and his personal life to The Metamorphosis it is obvious in more ways than one that he was writing a twisted story of his life. The emotional and physical abuse Gregor goes through are similar to what Kafka went through in real life. They were both abused and neglected by their fathers when they were disappointed with them. Kafka uses Gregor transforming into a bug as a way of exaggerating himself, trying to express his feelings and point of view. When writing, Kafka felt as if he was trapped in his room which he referred to as "the noise headquarters of the apartment". Gregor was an exaggeration of this because he could not leave the house to escape the noises and abuse.
Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is a masterfully written short story about Gregor Samsa, a man who devotes his life to his family and work, for nothing in return. Only when he is transformed into a helpless beetle does he begin to develop a self-identity and understanding of the relationships around him. The underlying theme of The Metamorphosis is an existential view that says any given choice will govern the later course of a person's life, and that the person has ultimate will over making choices. In this case, Gregor?s lack of identity has caused him to be numb to everything around him.
In the Open-Mindedness personality section, my percentile is a 7. I’m more close-minded, meaning I tend to be conventional, down to earth, narrow interests, uncreative, and I prefer traditional and familiar experiences. In the Conscientiousness personality section, my percentile is an 87. I’m more conscientiousness, meaning I am reliable, well-organized, self-disciplined, careful; reliable, well-organized, self-disciplined, careful, very well-organized, and can be relied upon. When it comes to the Extraversion personality section, my percentile is a 7. I’m introverted, meaning I tend to be shy, reserved, inhibited, quiet, and I probably enjoy spending quiet time alone. When it comes to the Agreeableness personality section, I scored a 78. I tend to be agreeable, meaning I tend to be good natured, sympathetic, forgiving, and courteous. Finally, when it comes to the Negative Emotionality personality section, my percentile is 67. I’m a little bit more nervous/High Strung than Calm/Relaxed.
Kafka, Franz."The Metamorphosis." The Longman Anthology of World Literature. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2009. 253-284. Print.Works Cited
This study was conducted by Sanjay Srivastava. The results came from people taking a test with questions. The five traits were founded by John A. Johnson he wrote descriptions of the five domains and thirty subdomains. These descriptions are based on an extensive reading of the scientific literature on personality measurement. The five include, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness An extraversion person enjoys being with people are full of energy and often experience positive emotions. Agreeableness describes people with this value getting along with others are friendly generous helpful willing to compromise interests with others Conscientiousness is when we control regulate and direct our impulses Neuroticism is mental distress emotional suffering and inability to cope with the normal depends of life Openness on the results means dimensions of the cognitive style that distinguish imaginative creative people from down to earth
Personality is massive part of an individual’s identity. Our personalities dictate our patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. An individual’s personality exposes them to predispositions and habits that influence their actions and lives. Early on, personality assessments consisted of physical features ranging from head shape and facial characteristics to body type. In today’s world, personality assessments are mainly based around traits. Traits are simply descriptions of one’s habitual patterns of behavior, thought and emotion. The most popular personality assessment is the Five-Factor Model, also known as The Big Five. This model allows us to describe people based on the five main traits/dimensions. These traits are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. Each of these five traits measures a different aspect of one’s personality. Extraversion is based on one’s level of engagement with the world,
realizes that the controlled society he lives is one that tries to eliminate all individuality. This causes him to act out in violence against authority as a means o...
This reality leads us to believe that over time he has become even more motivated to revenge his father's death, and find out who his true friends are.
The story, Metamorphosis, is an unusual story to say the least. The very first sentence one meets the main character, Gregor Samsa. This sentence really shows how different this story is when compared to other books in this class. Throughout the story the author, Franz Kafka, wants the reader to sympathize with Gregor. ‘When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach in his bed’ (87), is the first sentence, and already the author wants the reader to feel sympathy for Gregor. This is no dream either, he is really a bug, and Kafka makes sure there is no confusion. This is just one of many examples that I will discuss where Kafka wants the reader to sympathize with Gregor.
Hibberd, John. “The Metamorphosis: Overview.” Reference Guide to World Literature. Ed. Lesley Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995.
Gregor’s entrapment inside of the bedroom forces the realization of the isolation and alienation from society into his mind. Gregor’s life as an insect takes place in an apartment in a city. The setting forces Gregor to contemplate the reality and meaning of life. The location of a hospital across the street from Gregor begins Gregor’s questioning. He wonders why his family does nothing and how he can live close to a hospital and not get any help. Kafka applies irony to the presence of the hospital and begins Gregor’s downfall and loss of hope in returning to a normal life. Also, the window itself portrays how close, yet how far he remains from safety. The bedroom contains his body and completely controls the rest of his life. Later on, hiding in the dark becomes a routine, “And he scuttled under the coach again” (Kafka 23). The bedroom becomes too much, and he can only feel comfortable and safe while hiding under furniture. His hiding prohibits any communication with anyone, and forces him into solitary confinement. The space of the room eventually leads Gregor to flee into safer areas, yet at the same time ends all contact and communication w...
Using symbols, Kafka illustrates the story which is not just about Gregor’s transformation but it is more than that. The entire Metamorphosis is an allegory about Gregor changing into a vermin, symbolize that he wanted to free himself from his family obligation. “As Gregor Samsa awoke from unsettling dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin” (Kafka 7). He thought his transformation was a dream but he soon realizes that it was reality. Gregor was the source of the income for his family and was employed in a job he did not like. “What a grueling profession I picked! Traveling day in, day out” (Kafka 7). This is ironic because Gregor was forced by his father to choose the alienated career. Mr. Samsa was indebted to his boss; working as a traveling salesman he would have pay off his father debt. Working as traveling salesman made Gregor alienated socially and mentally. The word transformation does not only app...
One of Franz Kafka's most well-known and most often criticized works is the short story, "Die Verwandlung," or "The Metamorphosis." "The Metamorphosis" is most unusual in that the first sentence is the climax; the rest of the story is mainly falling action (Greenburg 273). The reader learns that Gregor Samsa, the story's main character, has been turned into an enormous insect. Despite this fact, Gregor continues to act and think like any normal human would, which makes the beginning of the story both tragic and comical at the same time. However, one cannot help but wonder why Gregor has undergone this hideous transformation, and what purpose it could possibly serve in the story. Upon examination, it seems that Gregor's metamorphosis represents both his freedom from maintaining his entire financial stability and his family's freedom from their dependence upon Gregor.
The five traits that make up the Big Five Theory are Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience. Extraversion is linked to the habit of experiencing positive emotions. The category of extraversion includes assertiveness, talkativeness and sociability. Neuroticism is linked to the habit of experiencing negative emotions. Extraversion includes feelings of anxiety, self-consciousness, and irritability. Having low self-esteem would give you a high score in Extraversion in a personality test. Agreeableness is one’s care towards another, their concern for their needs, wishes, and rights. If a person is high in Agreeableness they would be polite and compassionate, if they are low in Agreeableness they would be unsympathetic and possibly aggressive. If a person is Agreeable, they cherish a good understanding of others emotions and what people seek out to do in their lives. Conscientiousness is the ability to conform to rules and self-efficiency. Conscientious people are self-disciplined, keep things in order, and don’t get distracted and keep themselves on track with their goals. Openness includes traits such as imagination, intellectual engagement, and aesthetic interest (Deyoung, 2010). Open people are appreciative of adventure, emotion, curiosity, unusual ideas, art and