The Metamorphosis (1915) Franz Kafka

Biographical, Historical, and Conceptual Contexts

Franz Kafka Born in 1883 middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague Studied law insurance company in order to support his parents inferiority complex tyrannical father tuberculosis in 1917 physically and mentally repulsive

Suffered from clinical depression, social anxiety, Died in 1924 from starvation tuberculosis did not allow swallowing

Kafka’s Alienation Felt he was an outsider Jewish in Catholic Prague Sickly Lonely Perceived human beings as being trapped by authority in a hopeless world frustrated at supporting family Had to work in a meaningless bureaucratic job Franz Kafka

Modern Alienation: Fragmentation The city Dehumanization Modern means of production—division of labor Sense of worthlessness Acceleration of life and travel Mechanization Class

Prague Catholic city where Czech was spoken Segregated its Jewish population into a German-speaking ghetto seven hills and dominated by “The Castle,” = symbol of authority Highly dense city, with narrow, labyrinth-like streets The Jewish Ghetto

Expressionist Literature not objective reality but the subjective reality Depicts a psychological or spiritual reality through distortion and/or exaggeration as if it were completely real Replaces concrete particulars with allegorical forms

Meaning of The Metamorphosis

Gregor Samsa = life with risks/rewards and the embrace of an inauthentic code of behavior

The Inward Passage: The Real Metamorphosis His first step = disobedience: work etiquette soul searching: conformed to his family’s and employer’s demands inauthenticity and meaninglessness of his life

The Inward Passage: The Real Metamorphosis His first step = disobedience: work etiquette soul searching: conformed to his family’s and employer’s demands inauthenticity and meaninglessness of his life

Thematic Contexts

Mythic: Ovid Ovid’s Metamorphoses Each contains some sort of transformation or metamorphosis. tales of transformation in which a person or lesser deity is permanently transformed into an animal or plant.

Kafka’s story, explores the life and destiny of Gregor Samsa Ovid only depicts the act of the metamorphosis itself

Biological: Metamorphosis Takes place in distinct stages: larval stage then enter an inactive state called pupa or chrysalis finally emerge as adults Gregor’s transformation parallels this metamorphosis.

Psychological: Depression Illness that can challenge the ability to perform even routine daily activities, characterized by the following: Loss of interest or pleasure Sustained fatigue without physical exertion Lack of energy and motivation Feelings of guilt or hopelessness Self-centeredness

Gregor’s behavior parallels all of these descriptors. Psychosis, a more extreme case of depression, is characterized by the loss of contact with reality: Having visions Hearing voices Feeling sensations that have no basis in fact Gregor’s behavior parallels all of these descriptors.

Form of The Metamorphosis

The Form of The Metamorphosis: Parable Uses this literary form as a neutral, detached point of view from which to examine human behavior Conveys truth in a less offensive, more engaging form than a direct assertion Appeals to the understanding, the emotions, and the imagination—to the whole person

Definition of Parable At its simplest, a parable is a metaphor or simile  drawn from nature or common life,  arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness,  and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application  to tease it into active thought."  (C. H. Dodd, The Parables of the Kingdom, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1961, p. 5)

Parable: The Complexity of Life The meaning of most parables is not so obvious, or at least it shouldn't be. Most parables contain some element that is strange or unusual. Parables do not define things precisely but, rather, use comparisons. Takes the familiar and applies it to the unfamiliar Makes the unfamiliar more comprehensible

Central Symbol of the Beetle/Vermin A subjective fantasy that best describes Gregor’s self-loathing: Worthlessness Uselessness Meaninglessness Awkwardness Ugliness

Difficulties in Reading Kafka: Paradox and Ambiguity Not a systematic philosopher or religious man Is so convincing in his matter-of-factness and use of details to the point of negating the absurdity of a situation Does not use metaphors yet his stories are parables Uses distortion to reveal truths Suggests various levels of meanings Is quirky