Kafka And The Metamorphosis Essay Research Paper

Kafka And The Metamorphosis Essay, Research Paper

The Metamorphosis EssayAccording to Sigmund Freud, the Oedipal Stage is a necessary and required step in a boy s life, in order for him to develop into a normal functioning individual. During the Oedipal Stage, the boy first falls in love with his mother, and becomes jealous of his father. He wants his mother all to himself. Although the boy fears his father and therefore does not act in an assertive manner, he still views his father as a competitor. Later on, the boy, attempting to identify with his father, shows off his manhood. The father now becomes a role model for his son. The boy eventually allows himself to give up his overpowering love for his mother so that he, along with his mother and father, can function in a typical manner as one family. If this process goes correctly, the boy learns the proper way to have relationships, as well as deal with them. He also learns that there is the possibility of loving someone as well as being angry with that person simultaneously. Numerous critics argue that the key to understanding Franz Kafka lies in the relationship that he had with his parents. Due to his childhood experiences, he developed feelings of fear towards his father, feelings of inferiority, and an inability to love and be loved. These issues are revealed in Kafka s puzzling novel, The Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka reveals how a relationship between a father and a son, which is supposed to be a loving and caring one, can sometimes be harsh and fearful. This kind of relationship, which Kafka had with his own father, is also portrayed through the relationship between Gregor Samsa and his father in the novel, The Metamorphosis. ( I don t think you need to repeat the name of the novel)From the very beginning of the text, Kafka hints at the harshness and hostility of Mr. Samsa: …And already his father was knocking on one side of the doors, feebly but with his fist (6). This scene occurs after Gregor s transformation into a bug, but no one has acknowledged his transformation yet. Gregor s father s sole concern is that Gregor should not be late to work. Gregor s father does not bother to ask him if something is bothering him, for his only worry is that Gregor is missing work: So can the manager come in now asked his father, impatient, and knocked on the door again (11). One would assume that if Gregor s father were so interested in Gregor s work, than of course Gregor himself would be just as concerned with his career. Gregor, however, does not enjoy the profits from his work. Instead, he uses the money to support his family: The money Gregor had brought home every month he had kept only a few dollars for himself (28). Due to Gregor s fear, he is living to serve the needs of his father rather than taking care of his own. Similarly, in Kafka s own life, he was torn between spending his time writing, which gave him pleasure, or working in his father s factory, which was something that he despised. He chose to satisfy his parents by working in the factory. In the novel, not only did Gregor s father behave in a frightful way, but also in a hostile manner. Mr. Samsa s hostility is unveiled when Gregor s transformation is exposed. He deals with this hostility by means of abuse: With a hostile expression his father clenched his fist, as if to drive Gregor back to his room, then looked uncertainly around the living room, shielded his eyes with his hands, and sobbed with heaves of his powerful chest (15). Clearly, Gregor s father had difficulty controlling and dealing with his anger. The only way to express his anger was by means of abuse: He had filled his pockets from the fruit bowl on the buffet and was now pitching one apple after another, for the time being without taking good aim. One apple, thrown weakly, grazed Gregor s back and slid off harmlessly. But the very next one that came flying after it literally forced its way onto Gregor s back; Gregor tried to drag himself away, as if the startling, unbelievable pain might disappear with a change of place; but he felt nailed to the spot and stretched out his body in a complete confusion of all senses (39). Mr. Samsa s hostility has turned into hatred. The physical and emotional pain that Gregor feels from the apple, scars him for life. So too, in Kafka s own life, his father s actions due to his hostility haunted him throughout his entire life. He recalls one incident when his father threw him out of his house, locking him outside all night. He was alone, and only in his pajamas, just because he asked for water late at night. It is these incidents from Kafka s childhood that remained in his memory forever. Resultantly, he never passed the stage from going to fearing his father to loving and admiring him. This defect remained with Kafka and Gregor for the rest of their lives. Not only did Kafka fear his father, he also felt a sense of worthlessness due to his upbringing. During Kafka s lifetime, he exhibited a full range of serious neurotic symptoms such as hypochondria, obsessions, phobias, and depression. Kafka used his talent of writing to explore his inner self. Therefore, in The Metamorphosis, Kafka causes Gregor to transform into a bug in order to characterize his sense of worthlessness before his monstrous father. Kafka characterized his father as being a power hungry, controlling, domineering animal. Mr. Samsa, in the Metamorphosis, fits this description: The breakfast dishes were l