Personal Experiences Reflected in Metamorphosis by Gregor Samsa

Topic 2

Writing, like other forms of art, draws upon an artist’s inspirations. Either subtly or overtly, an artist’s interactions and perception of the world influences their piece. Franz Kafka, born into a Jewish family in Prague, incorporated many of his life experiences into his work The Metamorphosis. The Metamorphosis presents many connections between the life of the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, and Kafka himself. Some literary analysts claim it serves as an outlet for his distraught life. Based on the events of Gregor Samsa’s life, it can be deduced that Franz Kafka used his personal experiences as an inspiration for The Metamorphosis.

Kafka portrays the relationship he had with his father through the relationship of Gregor and Mr. Samsa. Kafka’s father, Hermann Kafka played a large role in Franz’s life. Kafka considered his father “an overbearing power of some kind, one that could easily break the will of men and destroy their sense of self-worth” and Samsa’s father presents the same qualities (Bio). Gregor Samsa worked as a salesman to support his family because his father stopped working. Gregor works to “pay off [his] parent’s debt” and if he “didn’t hold back for [his] parent’s sake, [he] would have quit long ago,” showing that he solely works for his parents (Kafka 4). Samsa puts a great importance on his job as he thinks about “the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly changing trains, eating miserable food” and rants on about the stressful life he lives (4). His father’s actions forced him to take on the miserable lifestyle he leads. Kafka also had a rough time as his father also shaped his future. While Kafka aspired to find a career as an autho...

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... correspond to each other showing that Kafka integrated his life into The Metamorphosis.

Kafka assimilates many aspects of his life into The Metamorphosis. From the relationship to his family to the depression he felt in his late stages of life, Kafka creates a character out of himself to serve as the protagonist. The connection between Samsa and Kafka is evident from the experiences and feelings. Kafka drew upon his personal life and experiences to create his masterpiece. The Metamorphosis served as an outlet for Kafka’s struggles and was inspired by his own life.

Works Cited:

Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. Ed. and trans. Stanley Corngold. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1996. Print.

"Kafka's Life (1883-1924)." The Kafka Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.

"Franz Kafka Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 08 May 2014.