Cultural Context In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

After discussing and reviewing “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, my understanding of the context surrounding Kafka at the time was developed by three aspects of the discussion. I gained a greater comprehension of the effect that his dysfunctional relationship with his father had on his writing.. Additionally, clarification of Kafka’s personality and insecurities gave me a better understanding of the motivation behind this novella. Finally, the domestics in Prague at the time gave me a better idea of the cultural context during Kafka’s time. Throughout his life, Franz Kafka’s relationship with his father, Hermann Kafka, seems very dysfunctional and even, non-existent. Kafka’s father was described as dominant and hot tempered, and that he did not approve of Franz’s passion for writing. Kafka also wrote that his father was abusive and that he uttered threats towards Kafka. This negative relationship between Kafka and his father can clearly be recognized in “The Metamorphosis,” and a parallel can be drawn to Gregor’s father in the novella. Both Kafka’s father and Gregor’s father are depicted as unkind, aggressive, and unsympathetic. This resemblance gives us a lot of context

Kafka, was a very self conscious and insecure person. Franz describes that this anxiety and insecurity came from his father’s intimidation and Kafka’s will to please his father. Wherever this self consciousness came from, it affected Kafka’s personal life and his writing. We discussed how Kafka felt shameful to his family because he was engaged to Julie Wohryzek, the daughter of a shoemaker and a synagogue attendant. This made him feel self conscious about himself and his actions, thinking that whatever he did would cause trouble to his family. This can also be seen in “The Metamorphosis” as Gregor was insecure about his new body and worried about how his sister and mother would view