The Oedipus Complex In Kafka's The Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka was written in 1915, it was based on a man named Gregor, a travelling salesman who wakes up to find himself transformed into an insect. Disgusted by his appearance he tries to deal with his new condition, but he is forced to endure the rejection of his family, which is what eventually drove him to his death.

It is often said that pride comes before a down fall, but pride must first trip over the truth The downfall of Oedipus is due to flaws in his character. Throughout the play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles, Oedipus’s character has led him to make judgements that were not in his best interest. These flaws are pride, leading to overconfidence and having poor judgement. Oedipus character also show determination which throughout the play also became a flaw as well. The character of Oedipus is ruled by fate. The tragic hero is unable to escape his fate that was spoken over his life to happen. Even though Oedipus has chosen his own actions, the consequences he is sure to face have become undeniable and cannot be changed. Due to the flaws in his character, the king will fall from the good graces of those who once believed in him.

To start, even before readers know he has become a creature, they are made aware that Gregor has a particular disdain for his life and his job. He might as well be a visitor to his own home due to his job as a travelling salesman. Already it becomes clear that Gregor is not has happy and stable as he could be, and to top it all off, Gregor is not even all that concerned with his new form (Klingenstein 1.) His reasoning behind this apathy is that he is still the provider for his family, thus not allowing him time to dwindle on his transformation. Gregor’s apathy towards his new form shows not only that he cares deeply for his family, but also that the initial stress caused by his transformation is nothing compared to what he endures in his day to day life. Gregor’s

“The Metamorphosis”, written by Franz Kafka, takes place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the city is unspecified. The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, is turned into a giant bug and struggles to regain his harmonious life as a traveling salesman. Gregor goes through both a physical and emotional change throughout the novel, from turning into a bug and then being unable to provide for his family because of his condition.

The two novellas “The Metamorphosis,” and “The Death of Ivan Llych” both describe the stories of two men suffering from dramatic events in their lives. The two men both suffer from the feeling of alienation from their families. The two stories can be compared in many ways, and give insight into the way these two characters found peace in their deaths.

A) Dramatic irony, something that gives play that sense of je ne sais quoi; to have the audience have and edge of knowledge that the cast/character doesn’t. In Oedipus, Oedipus is a child of Jocasta and Laius. Prophesied to murder his father, to lay with with mother and bare children. As the play entails Jocasta and Laius decide to take heed to the oracle 's prophecy and kill their newborn in fear of what was yet to come. King Laius was to have his babies ankles pinned and put on a cliffside left to die. Oedipus was taken into another kingdom adopted by the king and queen not knowing they were his real parents. He soon finds out his fate to murder his father and lay with his mother; thinking he is larger than life flees to escape his destiny not knowing he was adopted. He then meets a man escorted by men who force him to move aside. In anger he kills them not realizing that one of the men was his father, the king. As he travels to the kingdom and gains entry misfortune strikes the kingdome. Oedipus being the heroic type goes to the queen, his mother, and states, “I will bring this light again. King Phoebus/ fittingly took care about the dead,/ and you too fittingly./ And justly you will see min me and ally,/ a champion of my country and the God./ For when I drive pollution from the land/ I will not serve a distant friends advantage,/ but act as in my own interest. Whoever/ he was killed the king may readily/ wish to dispatch me with his murderous hand;/ so helping the dead

There are hundreds of works of literature out in the world, many of them are great, and some are not as great. What makes them great is the truth behind them, the true feelings, and what it truly meant to the author. Many great works of literature are influenced by several different things, in the case of “The Metamorphosis”, it was influenced by the life of Franz Kafka, the author, and his real- life experiences. The Freudian concept help explain why “The Metamorphosis” contains symbols and clues that can be used to compare certain relationships throughout Kafka’s life, one being with his father, and the other with woman who entered his life.

John Steinbeck once said, “A journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you can control it.” (Brainy Quote). This lack of control can be seen in Of Mice and Men, which was written during the naturalistic period. The naturalistic period was a literary period during the 1930s about individuals having no control over their lives. The use of these naturalistic elements can be seen in Of Mice and Men such as Lennie’s lack of self control which leads to death. On the flip side, Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis during the surrealism period. The surrealist movement took place during the 1910’s and was the opposite of naturalism, focusing on people’s ability to decide their own fate. Kafka used his childhood experiences to shape the way he wrote. As a young boy, he had a poor relationship with his father. This is reflected in The Metamorphosis, as Gregor's dad is extremely cruel to him. In Of Mice and Men and The Metamorphosis, Steinbeck and Kafka use bestial

Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis is the tragic story of young travelling salesman Gregor Samsa who becomes alienated by his family after he transforms overnight into a giant insect. The Metamorphosis, while open to various interpretations, clearly depicts Kafka’s own views of the suffocating capitalist socio-economic structure and the struggles for power that occur within one. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka illustrates the incessant oppression that occurs as a result of a rigidly capitalist society.

Compare to the death of Gregor Samsa in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the fairy tale like Beauty and The Beast has always have a positive and delighted ending. But the Metamorphosis has more abnormal transformation in both physical and psychological ways that beyond people’s expectation.

The Metamorphosis, a novella written by Franz Kafka, attracted the attention of many of its readers due to the writing framework and shocking concepts. The story depicts a man named Gregor Samsa who has befallen the fate of a cockroach- literally. After being transformed into a large bug, Gregor goes through the struggles of misunderstanding, neglect, and loss of his family relationships. These concepts create an impact largely to Kafka’s use of literary devices, including the occasional use of euphemisms. Euphemism specifically lends an insight into the time period, character of Gregor, develops a comical tone, and makes a less harsh, romanticised version of the tale.

“When the wind blows, some build walls while others build windmills.” This quote was incorporated to demonstrate the different emotions and reactions people have towards change. Change can be both negative and positive and while some people embrace it, others are frightened by it. In collection 3, it can be inferred that many of the stories such as, The Metamorphosis, Life After People, The Starry Night, and The Lord of the Flies, show how change can negatively affect someone 's life, a groups lives, or in extreme cases, the world.

Franz Kafka is a German novelist who wrote “The Metamorphosis.” In the story, he uses a third person point of view narrative. The novel uses absurdum, which exaggerates and dramatize the absurdity of modern life. The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, struggles with an external factor of transforming into an insect like creature. The transformation was not under his control and now struggles with a new identity. Once the sole provider for his family, he now becomes a burden. Internally, he is the same Gregor Samsa, but his physical appearance causes his family to alienate and mistreat him. The use of dehumanization is prevalent in the novel causing the protagonist to suffer with symptoms of depression. He is unable to be a positive contributor in society or for his family. The use of symbolism in the novel displays his isolation and humanity. The central conflict is resolved when his sister Grete, initially empathetic, comes to a realization that

To many, the meaning of of life is a constant cycle of searching and failing. Many have attempted to ascertain the true value and meaning of life. People repeatedly question the purpose of life. However, people have failed to find the ultimate solution in a constant cycle. On the other hand, some people find life meaningless. These people do not seek any element in life, nor do they search for the true meaning of life. . Kafka, the author of the story “The Metamorphosis”, illustrates the concept of meaningless of life through the usage of the character Gregor Samsa, who faces a crisis where he is transformed into a bug-life figure and gradually doubts his own existence.

It’s quite remarkable how differently people react to change; how one could be so rebellious while the other embraces it. In “The Man in a Case” written by Anton Chekhov, Byelikov is not only a reserved, quiet man who revolts against any form of change, but is also a man who makes no exceptions to his mental disciplinarian handbook of rules whether it was for personal or professional purposes. On the other hand, “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka begins with Gregor Samsa treating his change from a human being to an insect with complete disregard as though his transformation is a natural occurrence in his life. Chekhov and Kafka, in their respective works of literature, use profound figurative references and discuss the different reactions to change, which as a result intrigue and arouse the reader’s curiosity.