Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

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The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a classic piece of literature. This masterpiece of stunning psychological, sociological and existential angst has blessed the minds of readers since it was written in 1912. It is the story of Gregor Samsa, a hardworking man trying to pay off the debt of his family, but transforms into a vermin, (bug). There are many parallels of Kafka’s life to Gregor’s in Metamorphosis. Both Kafka and Gregor were in family and social discord, and a bureaucracy of a work world. The way Kafka chose to write his novella, in third person limited omniscient narration, serves his purpose of wanting to understand and reflect on his own experiences along with entertaining. Choosing Gregor to narrate the novella would change the purpose, plot, and understanding of the story. Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, in the city of Prague. Kafka’s father was a well-known merchant in the Jewish ghetto of Prague. He was an uneducated man who worked is way up from very poor and made his own business. He was a very domineering father and husband. Conflict between Kafka and his father started early on and remained an issue in his life and in his writings. His mother Julie was more of a peacemaker of the family. Kafka also had three younger sisters, Elli, Valli, and Ottla. Kafka was closest to his sister Ottla. Kafka graduated from secondary school in 1901. He then started his studies at the University of Prague majoring in law. In 1906 he was working with an Accident Insurance Institute. Kafka kept diaries of details, thoughts, and feelings which motivated him to write; most of these ideas represented his own personal conflicts. Kafka had mixed feelings about his family, yet had a good relationship with his sister Ottla. Kaf... ... middle of paper ... ...books Kafka, Franz. Diaries: 1910-1913. Translated by Joseph Kresh. New York: Schocken Books, 1965.Web. 5 Dec. 2010 http://www.themodernword.com/kafka/kafka_biography.html This is a translation of Kafka’s diaries from 1910-1913 by Joeseph Kresh. Conor Fitzgerald, Yahoo! Contributor Network Apr 18,2007. Web. 5 Dec. 2010 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/208186/analysis_of_the_metamorphosis_by_franz This is an analysis of Metamorphosis by Conor Fitzgerald for Yahoo contributor network. Enotes, The Matgamorphosis styly. Web. 5 Dec 2010 http://www.enotes.com/jax/index.php/enotes/gsearch?m=co&q=metamorphosis This is study guide on Enotes an online educational resource for teachers and students. Wikipedia,The free encyclopedia. Narrative mode. Web. 5 Dec 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_ .

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