The Relationship Between Gregor and Samsa

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Recommended: Existentialism in Franz Kafka's works

The meaning of life and existence is a question that has been thoroughly explored in literature. As time, people, and philosophies have evolved, interpretations of life and existence have evolved along with them. Among the literary pioneers who have explored the meaning and purpose of existence, Franz Kafka is one to be noted and studied. A follower of the existentialism movement, he made it a point explore existential philosophy in his literary works. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor Samsa is the parallel to Franz Kafka which is evident through the portrayal of their similar paternal relationships, ties to existentialism, and their inability to exist without the interference of others.

The main character, Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman, who supports his family entirely on his wages from work. He holds a sense of pride because he had the capability to support his family and provide a comfortable lifestyle for them. Gregor is both the protagonist and the victim in this novella. One day Gregor wakes up to discover that he has been spontaneously transformed into a vermin. As the plot progresses the family gradually takes on the role as the villain within the story. Gregor is deliberately characterized as a vermin because Kafka wanted to direct his reader’s attention on the symbolic meaning of the word. Naming a specific type of bug would have focus readers on the visual and overt meaning of the word. Instead Kafka wanted the reader to understand that by using the word vermin it describes a useless and parasitic person. For years Gregor slaved, working for an unappreciative and ungrateful. The whole time Gregor worked to support his family; he was never offered help from any of his family. Despi...

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... Franz Kafka and Gregor Samsa have complete control of their lives.

Franz Kafka undoubtedly lived a life full of hardships and strife. Creative writing and literature were the only outlets he had to convey his true feelings. Franz Kafka once said that he wanted to find a place where his father could not reach, but such a place always existed. His father could not interfere with the love Kafka had for writing. . Whenever he would write he put some aspect of his life within that piece of work. The Metamorphosis is no exception. A very large amount of his life was used in this story and it is evident throughout. Paternal relationships were the same. Philosophical views were the same, and their inability to stand up for themselves was the same. On paper Gregor Samsa and Franz Kafka is the same individual. Gregor Samsa is the identical representation of Franz Kafka.

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