Mr Samsa Existential Ideal: Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Franza Kafka wrote one of his most popular books, The Metamorphosis, during the literary period and movement of existentialism. His novella stresses many existential ideals. The most predominant ideal that is seen through Gregor Samsa and his father in The Metamorphosis is that choice is the opportune of the individual. One’s ultimate goal in life is to successfully find a homeostasis between work and leisure. It is through the character development of the father of Gregor Samsa that we see the acquisition of the homeostasis between work and leisure and in turn this exemplifies that the father is an existential ideal.

Franza Kafka was born on July 3, 1883 in Prague, Austria-Hungary (now known as the Czech Republic). He was a German speaking child in a Jewish society. From a very young age he suffered with many instances of isolationism, tragedy ran rampant in his home with the death of his two younger brothers during birth, and he had a profound relationship with his parents. Franza Kafka referred to his father as a “true Kafka” and his father’s relationship paved the way for many of his writings and ideals. He wrote his novella The Metamorphosis at the peak of the existential movement. Kafka and his father had a very stern relationship. The father was a successful business man while Kafka went from job to job and never found a stable and viable job. Kafka constantly was brought down and condescended by his father, which gave the support for many of his writings including The Metamorphosis. The relationship between Kafka and his father is almost exactly identical to the relationship between Gregor Samsa and his father. In almost all of Kafka’s literature the central character always has to overcome an overbearing and overwhelming...

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...inding a balance between work and leisure and never exemplifying an existential ideal. Mr. Samsa unlike Gregor does not only partake in work, he partakes in leisure like spending time with the family and traveling on the train to the country side. Gregor has failed as a working and successful individual in society. An existential theme that choice is the opportune of the individual is thoroughly exemplified through The Metamorphosis. Everyone’s job, as an individual of society, is to keep and maintain a balance between work and leisure. In the end through the character development of Gregor’s father we can see how he was able to find a homeostasis between work and leisure and this finalizes how the father of Gregor is an existential ideal.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Ed. Stanley Corngold. Trans. Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 2004. Print.