Kafka’s Metamorphosis: A Mirror of His Personal Struggles
Yesterday evening, I finally read a book that I had been planning to read for a long time. As I began to write a blog post, I was inspired by a thought-provoking Instagram post shared by a dear friend about Franz Kafka and felt an undeniable urge to write a blog post myself. This also ignited my passion for writing and sharing my thoughts with others.
As I delved into the pages of “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, I found myself on a journey of introspection and contemplation.
I think first we need to look at Franz Kafka’s life to understand the book’s content.
Indeed, understanding Kafka’s life helps us appreciate the recurring themes of alienation and isolation in “The Metamorphosis.”
Kafka’s personal experiences and struggles greatly influenced his writings. He lived in Prague during social, cultural, and political changes at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Kafka’s tense relationship with his family and his battle with anxiety and existential questions shaped his worldview and found expression in his works.
Kafka was generally detached from society, trapped in a bureaucratic job, and burdened by familial and societal expectations. Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a giant insect reflects Kafka’s sense of being a stranger in an indifferent and hostile world.
Kafka was both linguistically and culturally German. He was a timid, guilty, and obedient child who excelled at primary school and a prestigious high school for academic elites called Altstädter Staatsgymnasium. He received respect and affection from his teachers. However, deep down, he rebelled against the authoritarian institution, rote learning, and emphasis on classical languages that alienated him from the humanistic curriculum. Kafka’s opposition to the established society became more pronounced when he declared himself an atheist and a socialist in adolescence. Throughout his adult life, he expressed qualified sympathies for socialists and attended meetings of Czech anarchists. He had sympathy for Czech political and cultural aspirations, but even these sympathies were suppressed by his identification with German culture. Thus, social isolation and rootlessness contributed to Kafka’s lifelong personal unhappiness.
Each of his works carries the traces of a man who suffers mentally and physically, desperately seeking meaning, security, self-worth, and a sense of purpose. Kafka himself viewed his writings and the creative act he indicated as a means of “salvation,” a “form of prayer” through which he could reconcile with the world or transcend his negative experiences in the world. His works distinctly defined yet inexplicable darkness reveals Kafka’s disillusionment struggles. Still, through his weak characters and the bizarre events that befall them, the writer achieved a compelling symbolism that broadly expresses the anxieties and alienation of the 20th-century world.
Franz Kafka’s novella “The Metamorphosis” primarily focuses on Gregor Samsa’s self-perception rather than Kafka’s own. Gregor experiences a profound transformation when he awakens one morning to find himself turned into a gigantic insect. Throughout the story, he struggles to accept his new physical form and his role in society. He sees himself as a burden to his family and experiences deep shame and self-disgust, ultimately leading to isolation and loss of identity.
Regarding Kafka himself, it is difficult to determine his self-perception or secrets solely from his literary works. Kafka’s writing was introspective and psychologically complex, often delving into themes such as alienation, guilt, and the absurdity of existence. However, establishing direct connections between the author’s personal life and the self-perceptions of his characters would be speculative.
Kafka wished to prevent readers from forming preconceived notions, desiring them to perceive Gregor as human. Nevertheless, Kafka deliberately chose a bug as Gregor’s transformation rather than something small, cute, or even reducing him to a fraction of his size. This decision troubled me as I read the story. On the one hand, I felt tremendous sympathy for Gregor and the injustice he faced. It was evident that society and even his own family only valued him as long as he served their purposes, with the former seeking his utility and the latter relying on his provision. However, the fact that he had become an enormous bug made me uncomfortable throughout the entire narrative. This raises the question of Kafka’s intention behind this particular choice. Did he want readers to empathize with Gregor’s family? It seems unlikely, given their obvious cruelty. Or did Kafka intend to create an emotional distance between the reader and Gregor by transforming him into a repulsive insect? I cannot say for sure because I was undeniably emotionally affected by the story and couldn’t maintain that distance. Kafka aimed to convey that in the industrialized society of Gregor’s time, anyone who deviated from societal expectations was perceived as repugnant, abhorrent, and expendable.
Moreover, the individual who failed to conform internalized this perception. Throughout the narrative, Gregor never challenges his perception of himself as a colossal bug. He saw himself that way from when he woke up that morning, and others came to see him the same. It is as though a hidden narrative exists within the story where Gregor views himself as ill, worthless, and disposable, and this perception manifests as reality. Thus, Kafka may primarily seek to challenge our self-perception and the expectations imposed upon us by society and our families. Do we unquestioningly accept these expectations, defining our worth based on conformity to societal norms and the concept of success defined by others? Do we surrender entirely to these preconceptions and wither away if we cannot meet their demands?
There are also moments in the novella where Gregor Samsa expresses a desire to escape his predicament and forget about his transformation. The quote, “How would it be if I slept a little longer and forgot about all this bullshit? But yes, that is impossible”, reflects his yearning for respite from the difficulties he faces as an insect.
Furthermore, throughout the story, Gregor reminisces and the sense of freedom he once had. He longs to recapture that feeling and dreams of a future where obstacles are removed and he can work even harder. These reflections highlight the role of enthusiasm and the pursuit of satisfaction in Gregor’s life.
The despair felt by Gregor’s family and their perception of him as a great disaster, unlike anything experienced by their relatives and friends, underscores the profound impact of his transformation on their lives. The loss of his job and health leads others to view him as a bug, symbolizing how society often devalues and stigmatizes individuals who no longer fit societal norms or expectations.
To sum up, I found “The Metamorphosis” a challenging but rewarding read. It is a story that has left me with a lot to think about, and I recommend it to anyone interested in exploring the darker side of human nature or looking for a thought-provoking and well-written novella.
