In Franz Kafka’s short story, Metamorphosis, the idea of existentialism is presented in an indirect, yet convinced way. The story makes use of different ideals of existentialism: Society and Life, to portray the author’s view. In a way I will show how Kafka exhibited Metamorphosis in an existential and absurdist themes through out the story. First I will define what existentialism is, analysis on metamorphosis and, how they are displayed.
Existentialism is a belief in which individuals is eventually in charge of placing significance into their life, and that life alone is meaningless. They believe in no sort of power and focus. Much of the attention is focused on boredom, freedom and nothingness. This philosophical fictional movement came about
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Existential philosophy is characterized by what has been called the "explicit conceptual manifestation of an existential attitude" that begins with a sense of disorientation and confusion in the face of an apparently meaningless or absurd world (Solomon 304). Many existentialists have also regarded traditional methodical or academic philosophy, in style and content from concrete human experience. A reflection to his own personal life, this short story is of a sad man unable to break from the bonds that his society place on him. These bonds seemingly obvious in the work place and at home. He constantly feels used and abused when he is in his human form but, as he is morphed into a giant insect he sees that life is more complicated and he feels useless now. Sooner or later he knew conflict would arise with work, his sister and the rest of his family. All these relationships are have moral and ethical issues now due to his change but remember this has place him in a position of hostility as well, Gregor has no control. But in the end the family feels the burden and all come to agree that he useless and no need to keeping him around. Existentialism entails that an individual to rise above the miserable …show more content…
It is people’s choice to have moderation of the two sides and to maintain a balance between the two. Those who chose support of the society will those their individuality and, those who chose themselves will lose the support of the society. As you see in the short story Gregor chooses the society over himself, which turned him into a workaholic. After his metamorphosis he is forced to change and focus on himself more, forget what the society wants from him because they have already abandoned him. As Gregor has learned to live for himself he sees that it’s now too late to do so as a person. As he ignores the purpose of being a giant insect he defeats the purpose of living a different form of life, and in that effect he
Society also has expectations of Gregor that he cannot escape even when he is locked up in the room that eventually becomes his grave. On one of his agonizing sleepless nights he is still thinking of his workday and of people he mingles with on a daily basis. He realizes that instead of helping him and his family, they were all inaccessible and he was glad when they faded away(Kafka 43). Gregor receives no help from the society that he is so loyal to.
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. Gregor is the soul employed member of his family and this is their primary interest when Gregor is transformed. Secondly, Gregor is penalized for his efforts to be a good son, and a good worker; his toils are completely taken for granted by his family. The Samsa family is not interested in Gregor beyond their own needs, outsiders are reverentially treated. Thirdly, it is displayed by the positive changes that occur in the Samsa family as Gregor descends into tragedy and insignificance. As Gregor's life becomes more painful, isolated, and worthless the Samsa family becomes more functional and self-reliant.
Gregor, in The Metamorphosis goes through a transformation. He has changed into a giant insect, thus beginning a new physical life. But Gregor clings to his ideals, his strongly held beliefs of family that root themselves from his own insecurity. This causes Gregor much greif as the physical body; starts to wear its impression onto his mind. Although it didn't take long for Gregor to adapt in the physical sense, he never really adopt the true reality of the situation. He held onto his illusion of humanity because he clung to his idealism. This lack of mental adaptation caused Gregor's ultimate downfall, but as he saw it, it was a noble sacrifice. So for Gregor not to adapt to this situation with a fundamental change in ideology, was a fatal flaw in Gregor's personality. Sure enough, we are all Gregors' in a sense, we all believe in something, be it a religion, or the perpetual love of our parents. In this short story Kafka mirrors the effect of faith and morals into Gregor, suggesting that the static nature of these ideals will, in the right context lead to a person's ultimate demise.
Gregor’s dedication to his job remains undeniable; even directly after the metamorphosis Gregor has plans for making it to work, alibi a few moments late. However, despite his dedication, Gregor refuses to be satisfied with his job and all that it entails, most especially his treatment. “What a fate; to be condemned to work for a firm where the slightest negligence gave rise to the greatest suspicion” (Kafka 9). The disdain for his job happens to be warranted, just as his ded...
The novella drives the existential aspect that the ability to choose is for the very fortunate of individuals. An individuals duty in life is to ensure balance between work and leisure, Kafka suggests that if one would to fail to do so, then they would be no more than a spawn of an insect. Prior to Gregor’s transformation as well as after, he is portrayed as a thoughts “somebody” who is deeply depleted of all integrity and individuality. The characters individual bareness is most considered when his reaction to the transformation is brought to light: “transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect” (Kafka, 296), his lack of care or even awareness for his own being is a nudge towards the growingly detached civilization people set them in. Unknowingly, Gregor does not consider his state instead: “the next train went at seven o’clock; to catch that he would need to hurry like mad and his samples weren’t even packed up”(297). Ultimately, our main character is interpreted as an individual bounded by deliberate concerns, as he almost willingly sets himself up the financial upkeep for his
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. 1st ed. Translated by Stanley Appelbaum. New York: Dover Publications, 1996.
Unlike Esther, Gregor does not cause his controversy. Kafka depicts Gregor as a humble and selfless individual who keeps to himself and seems to have only one purpose: to support his family. His selflessness is why he has the sole purpose to work and pay off the debt for his family; he self-acquired the burden of his father’s debt. After Gregor wakes up and realizes that he has transformed into an insect, he does not look after himself. Instead, he concerns himself with the duty to support his family. Kafka writes how determined Gregor is to resume his work; “Well, I haven’t entirely given up that hope; once I’ve got the money together to pay of my parents’ debt to him—that ought to take five or six years—I will do so, no two ways about it” (30). Although Gregor expresses great devotion and sacrifice, his family does not appreciate his hard work. The family taking Gregor for granted never troubles him. Kafka displays how human cruelty leads to individuals becoming
In Franz Kafka’s short story, Metamorphosis, the idea of existentialism is brought out in a subtle, yet definite way. Existentialism is defined as a belief in which an individual is ultimately in charge of placing meaning into their life, and that life alone is meaningless. They do not believe in any sort of ultimate power and focus much of their attention on concepts such as dread, boredom, freedom and nothingness. This philosophical literary movement emerged in the twentieth-century, when Kafka was establishing his writing style in regards to alienation and distorted anxiety. A mirror to his own personal lifestyle, this story follows the short and sad life of a man unable to break out of the bonds society has placed on him. These bonds are not only evident in the work place, but at home too. Being constantly used and abused while in his human form, Gregor’s lifestyle becomes complicated once he becomes a giant insect and is deemed useless. Conflicts and confusion arise primarily between Gregor and his sister Grete, his parents, and his work. Each of these three relationships has different moral and ethical complications defining them. However, it is important for one to keep in mind that Gregor’s metamorphosis has placed him into a position of opposition, and that he has minimal control over the events to take place. Conflicts will also occur between family members as they struggle with the decision of what to do with Gregor. In the end they all come to the agreement that maintaining his uselessness is slowly draining them and they must get rid of him.
The Existential Approach stands for respect for the person, for exploring new aspects of human behavior, and for divergent methods of understanding people (Corey, 2013). Existentialists do not focus on instinctive drives or internalized others but on the person's unavoidable confrontation with the givens of the human condition. Yalom (1980) described those givens as death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. (Bauman, & Waldo, 1998).
Existentialism is the epitome of the unknown. There is no straightforward explanation of what exactly it is, there is only certain characteristics and behaviors that describe existentialist views. Throughout today’s world, there are examples of it everywhere, it’s found in movies, books, songs, and just people in general. Existentialists are known to think and do for themselves only. They believe that to understand what it means to be human requires understanding of themselves first. Some very well known pieces of entertainment existentialism is found in are: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and The Breakfast Club by John Hughes. The Stranger is a book written about a young man whose mother dies, which soon leads him to becoming acquainted with the feeling of not caring about what his actions do to others or himself. The main character Meursault starts helping his friend Raymond, carry out ways to torment his mistress. Out of nowhere while at the beach, Meursault shoots Raymond’s mistress’s brother. He is thrown into jail and tried, but he seems to not be affected as much as he should about his actions. He first finds it hard to live without cigarettes, women, and nature, but he soon finds out he doesn’t need any of those. After being sentenced to death, he is suggested to turn away from his atheism but later realizes that human existence has no greater meaning. This realization and acceptance is what truly makes him happy (Camus). Next, The Breakfast Club is a very relatable movie about high school students suffering the consequences of their actions in detention. The kids are all of ...
Existentialism is a philosophy dealing with man's aloneness in the universe. Either there is no God or else God stands apart from man, leaving him free will to make his own choices. From this basic idea of man being alone in an uncertain and purposeless world, many related ideas have developed. One great worry of existentialist writers is that life is becoming too complicated and too impersonal. People become more and more involved with their work, which is taking them away from their friends, family, and culture. However, these provide the only "meaning" that life could possibly have. One author prominently known for his work with existential ideas was Franz Kafka. Kafka, who wrote from the mid-1910's until the early 1920's, took the ideas of existentialism and interwove them so well into his novels and short stories that they became a trademark of his writing. Two of his stories are good examples of this philosophy: The Metamorphosis and "The Hunger Artist."
Gregor’s manager abandons Gregor when he is no longer able to provide his labor, just as a bourgeoisie would treat such a situation. Another Marxist idea is found in the novel when referring to how Gregor’s family treats him after his transformation. After Gregor’s transformation, he no longer has any value to his family. Eventually Gregor’s inability to work causes his death.
Since he has failed to come into work the manager decides to fire Gregor. This results in Gregor dashing out of his room, allowing everyone to see his new state. Terrified, Gregors father ushers him harshly back inside his room. As the story progresses the family begins to care about Gregor's well being less and less. They see him as a monsters creature and not as their son.
The narrator focuses mostly on Gregor, describing all his thoughts and actions, and in return, society’s opinions of Gregor’s crisis. A great shift as Gregor’s concerns slowly transform from selfless to selfish. Unknowingly, his “self” discovery, a key component of existentialism, has allowed society to define his person “by a body of facts that [he did] not choose”(Solomon 763). Who he was becomes faceted by cold-bloodedness to his family, an unfortunate perception he must accept, however only Gregor chooses the worth of his
His death displays another Existential theme, that man can’t survive by himself. Gregor needs to be a member of society in order to give his life meaning. Before Gregor’s transformation, he lived his life as an isolated loner. Gregor would get up everyday to the same routine, he wake up at four every morning to travel all over the region to sell products, but never had anytime to make a long lasting friendship, he never really even tried to. In his free time he would do anything but make friends, he would read or do artwork alone.