What Makes Gregor Existentialism

According to world renowned French existentialist philosopher, political activist and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre, “man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself”. This idea forms the foundation of existentialism, a philosophical movement originating in France and Germany, and rising to popularity after World War II. Existentialism emphasizes the individual’s freedom of choice, which solely gives life its meaning. Existentialism holds the individual responsible for their own creation and development, and the consequences that arise from their choices and free will, or lack thereof. Franz Kafka, considered by many to be an existential writer, heavily focused on the meaning of life and how actions create the individual, especially in his
When Gregor escapes from his room and into the kitchen, his father bombards him with red apples, and eventually one “force[s] its way into Gregor’s back” (39). The apple alludes to the apples that Adam and Eve picked from the Garden of Eden, even though God forbade them to. They chose to eat the fruit, and so chose their own destiny over the one God had planned for them. They fell from grace, but also gained understanding, as the fruit came from the Tree of Knowledge. The apple is lodged into Gregor’s back, where he cannot reach, signifying Gregor’s inability to choose his own destiny, like Adam and Eve did, and change back into a human being. The apple also signifies Gregor coming to understanding of what his family truly thought of him: a disgusting vermin. And yet even though Gregor cannot pick the apple choose his destiny, the fault still remains with him. According to existentialism, all of Gregor’s past choices lead to this very moment. Had he stood up for himself as a human, he could have avoided his metamorphosis and chose to live a much more meaningful and enjoyable life, one where work and debt do not plague him. But he chose not to, and because of this the blame rests on