Franz Kafka (3 July 1883-3 june 1924) was one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century. His work fuses elements of alienation, existential anxiety, surrealistic predicaments and the absurdity of bureaucracy. Kafka’s works
Kafka’s works – including the stories Das Urteil (1913, “The Judgement”), In der Strafkolonie (1920, “In the Penal Colony”); the novella Die Verwandlung(“The Metamorphosis”); and unfinished novels Der Prozess (“The Trial”) and Das Schloß (“The Castle”) – have come to embody the blend of ab- surd, surreal and mundane which gave rise to the adjective “kafkaesque“. He died in obscurity in 1924 at the age of 40 from tuberculosis.
Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ –
“The Metamorphosis” is a German-language novel by Franz Kafka, first published in Germany in 1915. It is cited as the outstanding work of 20th-century German fiction and is the subject of study in colleges and universities throughout the Western world.
“The Metamorphosis” tells the story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to discover himself inexplicably transformed into a giant insect. As Gregor struggles to come to terms with his new form, his family’s reaction to his transformation becomes a reflection of their own inner turmoil and alienation.
One of the central themes of “The Metamorphosis” is the alienation of the individual in modern society. The Metamorphosis” in the story, Gregor has devoted himself to his family and the absurd situation of becoming an insect has left him alienated from other humans.
Gregor’s transformation into an insect symbolizes his estrangement from both himself and his surroundings. Kafka masterfully portrays the psychological effects of isolation and disconnection, highlighting the dehumanizing forces at play in the modern world.
The Metamorphosis” Quotes By Franz Kafka:-
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.”- Franz Kafka
“He thought back on his family with deep emotion and love. His conviction that he would have to disappear was, if possible, even firmer than his sister’s. He remained in this state of empty and peaceful reflection until the tower clock struck three in the morning. He still saw that outside the window everything was beginning to grow light. Then, without his consent, his head sank down to the floor, and from his nostrils streamed his last weak breath.”
- Franz Kafka
“What’s happened to me,’ he thought. It was no dream.”-Franz Kafka
“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”-Franz Kafka
“The fact was he had in the past couple of days forgotten entirely about the faceless man who lived behind the image.”-Franz Kafka
“As soon as he had had this thought, he felt as if a slightly line of pleasure ran through his body.”-Franz Kafka
“The door itself was of such proportions and so heavy that it had been made to look more imposing than it really was.”-Franz Kafka
“He realized now that he was reduced to nothing more than an animal, although he was still capable of human feelings.”-Franz Kafka
“No one but me can force me to do anything, I thought to myself.”-Franz Kafka
“He was filled with a tremendous urge to crawl into bed and sleep, which he obeyed immediately.”-Franz Kafka
“Now it was clear to Gregor that his situation was desperate and that he had no hope of improving it.”-Franz Kafka
“Gregor’s only mistake had been in not having started to learn the nature of humans earlier on.”-Franz Kafka
“It was not his fault that he had been put in this humiliating position.”-Franz Kafka
“Gregor was so oddly comforted by these last words that he almost forgot his terror of the chief clerk.”-Franz Kafka
“He had begun to realize that in his present condition he was no longer capable of carrying out his family’s desires.”- Franz Kafka
