Preview

Identity In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
264 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Identity In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a story that has multiple themes within it. One main theme of this story is that of identity. Gregor seems to lose his sense of identity when he is transformed into a bug-like creature. When transforms he not only loses his physical identity, but his metal identity. He often speaks of his work as a salesman and he ultimately loses this identity as a salesman. He loses his old personal identity, but he gains new one as well. Gregor has to figure out his identity with his new looks. His identity is impacted by how others treat him, as well. It forces Gregor to become more introverted, because people push him away. Though in the end Gregor is the only one who can decide if his identity has completely changed along
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary Of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” is a nightmarish tale with a very straightforward, matter-of-fact style, and this style enhances its nightmarish quality. An example of this is found in paragraph, which states, “His many legs, pitifully thin when compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.” When describing this scene, the narrator definitely uses illustrative words, but does not have the disgusted tone one would expect from a story like this. The narrator speaks in an emptier way, which helps magnify the eerie feeling of the work. Both it and Gregor act very removed from the events, not how a normal human would react. Another instance of this is, “So then he tried to get the top part of his body out of bed…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Gregor's Metamorphosis Change
    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Gregor's Metamorphosis Change

    It is not surprising that the family in “Metamorphosis” experienced multiple metamorphosis, for example, the protagonist Gregor who is the son and the financial support of the family, transformed into an insect, then he accepts his metamorphosis, rather to change.However, metamorphosis reveals on overcome the difficulties by transformation rather than undergo with it. For instance, the parents decided to take jobs to overcome the problem of loss Gregor’s financial support, decided to start a better life without Gregor. And Gregor’s sister, Grete slowly diminished her pity toward her brother, started take the responsibility of an adult to support and take care the family. Ultimately, the family find out that they can depend on themselves.…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis
    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

    In “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, the style enhances the nightmarish quality of the work. The text states, “It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, it that was possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos,” (Kafka 12). This is interesting because the situation that Gregor is in is extremely scary and unusual, and the calm language used makes the event seem like a normal occurrence. Although one would think that Kafka would use chilling and disturbing language to describe these events, that is not what he did. The emotionless tone of the story confuses…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka
    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka

    In “The Metamorphosis” By Franz Kafka, the style enhances the nightmarish quality of the work in many ways. This quote from line 304-306 can be used to illustrate this when Gregor says, “I’ll open up immediately, just a moment. I’m slightly unwell, an attack of dizziness. I haven’t been able to get up.” These lines from the text show that Kafka describes this nightmare in a simple style. Gregor has completely transformed from a human into a vermin yet he treats the situation as if it could happen to anyone, and he still attempts to complete his normal responsibilities. Gregor thinks his transformation is simply a cold, and Kafka describes it very blankly, leaving it open to interpretation by the reader which in turn shows how horrifying the…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Roles In Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page

    Roles In Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Kafka shows how humans will adapt to fit their roles in society without any complaints, which was also shown in the Stanford Prison Experiment. Kafka shows this by having his characters fit into roles that they were assigned by physical features. In “the Metamorphosis,” Gregor is turned into a bug, and his transformation slowly begins to affect more than just his physical appearance. Within the story, we can see Gregor begin to change first with his acquired tastes for rotten food (26.8-27.4) to his newfound interest in crawling around all over the room (32.8). Kafka does a similar role fulfilling in the story “In the Penal Colony” with the condemned man. In this story, the condemned man is chained up like an animal and is even described as…

    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Analysis
    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Analysis

    The nightmarish quality of “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka, is enhanced by the straight forward -almost academic- nature of the writing. One such example of this occurs on page 93, reading, ““What’s happened to me?” [Gregor] thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room, although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls.”(Kafka) From thereon, he abandons the description of his transformation to describe the room and previous night. As the audience reads this, they are thrown by the sudden shift of topic, still wondering what has happened. The fact that most works put an emphasis on the “why?” makes the reader expect an answer, developing their panic as it becomes less and less likely that there will…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Kafka
    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of The Metamorphosis By Kafka

    As with any great literary work, there must be a purpose behind the story. Kafka’s short story was written for a few main reasons. He wanted to exemplify the absurdity of life, show that there is often a disconnect between the mind and body, and that there are limits to society’s affection for its servants. I found that all points appeared to be both relevant and accurate while maintaining the fantastical appeal of the strangeness of Gregor’s sudden transformation. I believe this contributes to why “The Metamorphosis” has made a lasting impact across the globe.…

    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kafka's Transformation In The Metamorphosis
    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Kafka's Transformation In The Metamorphosis

    In The Metamorphasis, Kafka’s treatment of Gregor’s transformation demonstrates how beyond human control the natural world is. The human turning back into nature demonstrates a relationship between man and the environment. Throughout the novel there is, however, much talk of the cure and of acceptance, yet nature goes on unrelated to all talk of ways to change the situation.…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Yellow Wallpaper and The Metamorphasis
    • 2189 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Yellow Wallpaper and The Metamorphasis

    In The Metamorphasis by Franz Kafka, Gregor is a man who works to help pull his family out of dept, when one morning he wakes up transformed into a vermin. After a long hour of trying to get out of bed he manages to succeed in opening up his door to tell his manager, who had arrived at his home due to his tardiness, that he is still capable of working. The entire family shocked by his transformation, reject him and push him into isolation in one room of the house. Gregor becomes very dirty and a pest to the house and eventually dies due to starvation and multiple injuries. The family then celebrates the relief of Gregor’s death, by taking the day off from work and going on a peaceful train ride.…

    • 2189 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Symbolism In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism In Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    In Franz Kafka's short story Metamorphosis symbolism plays a great part in developing Gregor's character and life. First, s picture Gregor has of a woman is the representation of his last strand of human life in addition to the furniture in his bedroom. Secondly, the apple that Gregor's father implants into his back is a representation of good and evil within the Samsa family. Lastly, Gregor's door represents his isolation from humanity and his true transition into a bug.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Change
    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Change

    The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a novella. The theme in this story is that change in one character leads to positive and negative change in other characters. Gregor Samsa, the main character changes into dung beetle. His change affects his family deeply and they make both positive and negative changes to accommodate both his change and themselves. The family resents Gregor and sees him as a burden, which is a negative change, but previously the family had relied on Gregor as their source of income. This is where the conflict arises because now they have to learn to work for themselves instead of relying on Gregor for income, which is ultimately a great positive change.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Change
    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did Franz Kafka Metamorphosis Change

    Franz Kafka is said to have based most of his works off of his own life. Consequently, in one such work, Metamorphosis, the characters, and their struggles parallel those of people present in Kafka's life. Metamorphosis tells the story of a man, Gregor, who leads a prominent lifestyle until he wakes up one morning transformed into a bug; from the moment that he takes his first breath in his transformed state, Gregor's life goes downhill. Because Kafka's work reflects his life, his state of mind is revealed through the fact that he chooses a bug in peril to represent himself. Kafka's purpose for writing Metamorphosis was to alleviate his hardships by providing himself an escape through writing.…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kafka Metamorphosis Analysis
    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kafka Metamorphosis Analysis

    The last paragraph of Kafka’s reading metamorphosis discreetly suggests that the family’s emotions aren’t as they read, but they will travel to the edge to find a successful prospect to lead for the future. The opening sentence reads “then the three of them altogether left the flat,” pg. 241 this section of the sentence has a deeper meaning than the Samsa’s just taking off from their home and going to the park as the sentence follows up . As I read this opening sentence the word “flat” stands out to me. Flat stands out in sentence because it is used in a very untraditional way that makes me believe it has another meaning besides the description of the flat land they are on. When defining the word flat I think of a smooth, even surface without any lumps or indentations. When defining flat in an emotional context, I would define it as a lacking of interest or emotion, perhaps dull and lifeless. The context of “flat” in this first sentence of the last paragraph I would say speaks to Gregory family’s emotions after him not being present. I envision an insect or a cockroach, I always see them crawling up a wall perhaps a flat surface. Which becomes ironic to this situation as Gregor is an insect and has struggle being mobile on the flat surface which they refer to as home. In this opening sentence flat may speak of the family's emotions not just a state of the land. This word…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    Since the Greek philosophers people have debated endlessly the extent to which the mind influences oneʼs personal reality, or even reality in general. In the Metamorphosis, the link between Gregorʼs mental and physical reality are in some way linked, and as Gregorʼs ability to function within the parameters of humanity dissipates, his physical links with the human world diminish as well. He loses his personal connection with his own body, and slowly but surely loses connection with the outside world; work and acquaintances progress along without him, and his family shuts him away as if he had never existed. But despite the authorʼs frequent superficial focus on Gregor Samsaʼs physical aspect, it is fundamentally the mental breakdown which Franz…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    What Is The Theme Of Isolation In Frankenstein
    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    What Is The Theme Of Isolation In Frankenstein

    In the novel, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, alienation and isolation are very prominent themes that flow through the pages. When Gregor undergoes his transformation into a grotesque insect, it creates this psychological and emotional rift between Gregor and his family.…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics