1. And the Existential Framework
The Metamorphosis
And the Existential Framework

2. Existential framework and The Metamorphosis
Inside the existential framework, Gregor is a total failure, and he becomes a victim to forces in the world around him.
Gregor’s primary failure is his neglect of self-definition.
His spinelessness is manifested symbolically in his insect form.

3. The Look Central to Existential thought.
Being conscious of being observed by another creature, whether human or animal, has a profound effect on the way the receiver of that look perceives his or her environment.
The way others perceive us changes the way we perceive ourselves, our thoughts, our notions of self, and of right and wrong.

4. In relation to Metamorphosis
Sister’s affection that Gregor covets can be seen as a look of approval.
Father - Gregor fears him, through the look roles of power are established.
Gregor’s and his family’s fears of being judged by society.

5. Beyond Good and Evil
Nietzsche, among others, believed that there was no absolute good or absolute evil in the world. All was relative
In The Metamorphosis Kafka does not judge his characters.
The narrator does not castigate characters with guilt for neglecting and eventually turning on Gregor.

6. Existential Angst
Describes the internal conflict experienced by every conscious individual due to the fact that the world is not a rational place and existence can be maintained only by constant struggle.

7. Existential Angst continued
Birth (leaving the safety of the womb for the harsh realities of the world) is the crucial moment existence is defined.
In The Metamorphosis, it is this womb-like state, without conflict, decision, or self-definition that Gregor longs to return to.

8. Existential Angst continued
Free choice also contributes to this angst since it is seen as one of the biggest burdens a human has.
Gregor fails in this vein as he seeks to avoid decisions at every turn.
The motif of escape manifests itself in Gregor’s sleeping, avoiding decisions, his eventual physical and mental exhaustion, and his ultimate death.

9. Existential angst continued
Communication is a prime source of angst since communication always involves struggle
Gregor’s inability to communicate is central to his difficulties at the outset of the story.

10. Existential Angst continued
The Irrational World - at any moment everything could change. There are no universal truths. There is only uncertainty.
Gregor’s transformation - coming out of a sleep to find that things were far from the way he had left them - is a powerful illustration of this idea, this fear of the existential thinker.

11. Existential Angst continued
The Grotesque, the absurd or bizarre, date back to the mid 19th century.
Kafka came to view humans as grotesque, pathetic beings that would be mired in their own filth if not prevented from doing so by society.
Gregor’s transformation, whether seen symbolically, allegorically, etc, is grotesque and further emphasizes the ideas of alienation and isolation.

12. Existentialism: A Literary Style
As a literary style it went away from sentimentality and romanicism, toward realism.
Kafka’s language is plain and efficient.
Story told from the third-person point of view, but the perspective is limited to Gregor’s subjective experience.
All judgments are left to the reader.