Franz Kafka, always an outsider and growing up as a Jew in Prague did not make it any easier. Prague's Jews remained all the more outsiders because they spoke German-the official language of the Hapsburg Empire-in a Czech city, yet neither Germans nor Czechs.(Franz Kafka and Prague) and Moreover, as an "assimilated" non-believer, Kafka remained an outsider even in the Jewish community. Kafka's ambivalent take on authority-his ability to respect it, rebel against it, and blame himself for everything-seems to come primarily from his relationship with his father. Hermann Kafka, a self-made storekeeper, had a big build and an aggressive character, opposed to Franz's smaller body and milder, highly intellectual, personality. Though living very energetic, smooth and charming, Kafka never managed to emerge out of his fathe

The author's skillful use of metaphors and symbols to communicate may have had little or no affect on his father and their relationship, as he still felt compelled to write a long personal letter plainly stating his feelings. Although Franz intended for the letter to reach his father, however, it remained unsent to him instead, returned to Franz by his mother. Ironically, even in his straightforward attempt, Franz had failed, though, in a sense his father did read the letter by reading most of his son's work. The fact that he died only a few years later, long before his father did, seems to show inharmoniously foreshadowed in The Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka seems to have thought that some of the most liberating occurrences happen as those that exist beyond one's control. Relating this story with Kafka's life, William A. Madden has said, "…it is literally a true account of a man, life, and the cosmos" (Madden 211). Kafka never remained happy in his life. He always lived a guilt-ridden life, with fearful memories of his dad.

The picture on the wall in Gregor's room remained of a woman dressed

The piece of apple that lodges in Gregor's back causing a festering wound, and which leads to Gregor's eventual death. This chain of events may represent Franz's belief that his father betrayed him. The apple itself could likely symbolize abusive words and harsh criticism. In addition to the injury suffered by Gregor while forced into his room, this appears to have had dire consequences for the character, just as Franz contended his father's words and actions had.

This metamorphosis also marks Gregor's freedom as an individual. Throughout his entire life, he has let other people make his decisions for him. This shows the first occurrence in his life over which no one (including he) had any control. This metamorphosis allows his hidden self to emerge, the self that had been stifled for so many years (Friedman 270). Gregor loses his role as the head of the household or the working man, but gains a new role as a creature representing his true personality (Parry 263). Gregor was never really "alive" as the head of the house. Even if he had eventually paid off his family's

seem at all shocked by this transformation partly because he has always felt unconnected to society and the rest of his family. The only drastic change in his life remained the fact that he could get out of bed and go about his daily life in the office. He continued as even more so separated from his family, they basically left him to die in his room because he could not provide for the family any longer. His parents had always treated him as their hired help since he had taken the job to pay for his father's debts. Grete, his sister, s

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