- The document provides background information on Franz Kafka and his most famous work "The Metamorphosis". It discusses Kafka's life, influences, and other works. - A key section analyzes the themes, symbols, and characters in "The Metamorphosis", including Gregor Samsa's transformation into an insect and the family's reaction. It explores themes of alienation, existence, and the conflict between individual and society. - The document examines the story through the literary lenses of modernism, magical realism, existentialism, and surrealism. It posits that Gregor's transformation represents his self-loathing and feelings of worthlessness.

1. The Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka
“A book should be the axe to break the frozen sea within us”
-Franz Kafka

2. What is Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis refers to the way that certain organisms
develop, grow, and change form.
Metamorphosis actually means "change".

3. EARLY LIFE
Born: July 3, 1883 in Prague
Upper middle class, German-speaking Jewish family
Eldest of 6
Attended German schools
Charles Ferdinand University
Law Degree
Worked at governor's insurance office
Troubled father-son Relationship
Letters to His Father

4. MAJOR INFLUENCES
Ovid and Ancient Mythology
The Metamorphoses (pg. 422)
Nietzsche
Darwin

5. WORKS
The Metamorphosis (1915)
The Trial (1925)
The Castle (1926)
Letters to His Father (1919)
Amerika (1927)

6. MODERNISM
Flourished between 1890 and 1940
Mainly concerned with the loss of traditional values
brought on by the major advances and disasters of the
early 20th
century. Such literature focuses on the
fragmentation and alienation perceived during this
time. To battle this, modernists focused on exploring
psychology than directly commenting on society.
Use of stream of consciousness- James Joyce
Use of surrealism to depict alienation- Franz Kafka

7. Magical Realism
Is when a realistic situation is combine with some magical,
supernatural or unrealistic occurrence.
Ex: When in the story The Metamorphosis the main
character turns into a big insect. Everything else in the
story is pretty much realistic, except the transformation
from a human being to an insect.
“When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled
dreams, he found himself change into a monstrous
cockroach in hid bed”(Kafka 1204).

8. Magical Realism
characteristics
Stories with a strong narrative drive.
Dreams, fairy story and mythology combine with
everyday realistic events.

9. Existentialism
Is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence,
freedom and choice. It is the point of view in which humans
see their own meaning in life and make decision according
to it.
Ex: In the story Gregor initially chooses society over himself,
he was a hard working man almost slave to his boss and he
also support all the member of his family After his physical
transformation, he is forced to only focus on himself, and
here is when family and society abandons him.

10. Surrealism
Refers to having a dreamlike quality or, in literature,
producing fantasy. It is often present by combining
things that don't belong together.
Ex: Gregor doesn't seem to care that he is a cockroach,
his reaction is very dreamlike. It is also very unusual that
knowing he is an insect he just cares about being late for
work.
“What to do now? The next train left at seven; to catch
it meant hurrying like a madman, and his samples
weren’t yet packed, and he himself didn’t feel exactly
agile or vigorous”(Kafka1205).

12. Gregor’s Father (Mr. Samsa)
Business failure leaves him in a lot of debt
Begins working once Gregor’s is transformed and can
no longer support the family
Responsible for Gregor’s death

13. Grete
Gregor’s sister
Takes sole responsibility for Gregor’s care after he
turns into insect
Likes to play the violin

14. Gregor’s Mother (Mrs. Samsa)
Very weak women
Tries to help Gregor but is disgusted by him
Suffers most from Gregor’s transformation

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16. THEMES FOUND IN
The Metamorphosis
Alienation/Isolation
Negative Father-son relationship
Existence
Morality
Class-consciousness/Effects of Capitalism
Family
Communication
Quest for understanding
Examination of being
Quest for escape
Absurdity of human life
Conflict between body and spirit

17. SYMBOLS
The insect
The framed picture of a woman in furs
Gregor’s desires (sex, wealth, humanity)
Father’s uniform:
Father’s dignity (deteriorates)
Food
The way the family treats Gregor
The Metamorphosis
Personal alienation
Effects of family’s demands
Furniture
Loss of hope/humanity
The Window
Longing
Hospital
imprisonment-keys, locks, cages
music and distortion of time

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

19. Gregor as animal
Obsessed with work/family/official
In animal form, the self is superior over physical
existence
Ignores true self and “unsettling dreams” which
represent the conflict between the two selves
Alienation of true self

20. The Reaction of Others
Clerk- self importance
3 lodgers- amused, self importance
mother- helpless, in denial, too weak to make her love
effective- “temporary sickness”
sister- closest in age and could be best understood by him-
concerned with herself
maid- a curious pet

21. The Metamorphosis of the
Family
Father
Mother
Sister
From _________ to _________

22. 22
Decline and Death
Gregor seems to have been by far the most caring and
compassionate individual in the home. Now that he
has gone, the fact that Grete is described more as
animal than human being might cause us to wonder if
there is any humanity left in the Samsas at all.

23. 2 Choices in Life
INDIVIDUAL vs. SOCIETY
if a person chooses self, he will lose support of society
if a person chooses society, he lose individuality
One must be productive in order to be valuable, and
one must have leisure in order to be valuable to
himself
what is Gregor? when? you?