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Fantasy in Kafka

            
             Kafka's "Metamorphosis" is a story of despair and futility in the life of Gregor Samsa. Samsa's sense of being a nonentity leads to his consequent alienation from his present existence to his transformation into an insignificant insect, capable of merely existing. From Samsa's internal feelings of failure comes the external manifestation, as being an insect gives evidence to the hopelessness of his situation. .
             Samsa's repulsive appearance alienates and yet relieves the guilt of his family and his boss. At first, Samsa views his new form as an inconvenience to his family, not only to himself; however, he soon shows that he no longer cares by crying, "Am I less sensitive now?" (pg 91). The dependence that his family has upon him makes him feel trapped; "If I didn't have to hold my hand because of my parents, I"d have given notice long ago- (pg 69). Even his love life is problematic; there was a "cashier in a milliner's shop, whom he had wooed earnestly but too slowly" (pg 114). Having never lived for himself and always for others suggests that Kafka rejects the Christian tradition and ideal that insists upon being dead to self and having contempt for worldly things. Kafka's disassociated tone in this story (as well as his others) increases the horror and the isolated feeling.
             Perhaps it is this tone that places Kafka's works among the fantastic, along with the reversal of motivation and resolution so prevalent in his tales. Kafka's imagination and skill in developing such close and powerful analyses of man and his psychology that is so near to reality make the jump into the fantastic hardly seem like a departure at all. .
            


Essays Related to Fantasy in Kafka

1. Kafka

... one of the most influential writers of this century. Since his death, Kafka has been recognized as symbolizing man's fantastic realities in a modern world by mixing elements of fantasy and reality to give his writing a feeling of science fiction. Today people go through life encountering "Kafka-esque" experiences, when something occurs in reality that could be easily mistaken for fiction. This technique is also used ... in the movie The Matrix when Neo, the protagonist, is thrown into the "new ... ...

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2. Parallels between Kafka's life and

... or theatre. Such is the case of Franz Kafka who in many of his books, reflects his attitude towards life, his parents and frustrations. These three characteristics may be seen in what is considered to be his masterpiece; The Metamorphosis. This is a story of fantasy when one morning, Gregor Samsa "...found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.". With this ... novel, we can perhaps understand better Kafka's relationship with his parents, especially with his father and Kafka's internal self. Kafka has been described as "a ... small, anonymous individual trapped in a nightmar...

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3. English Literature in the Twentieth century

... Dead, 1926, and several other volumes, until Collected Poems 1921–1951). He is also remembered, with his wife Willa, as the first translator of Kafka into English, the fruit of a long stay in Prague in the 1920s. Deeply influenced by Freud and Germanic culture, Muir's use of dreams, and his examinations of insecurity and hidden menace, caught the mood of their ... write plays on similarly controversial themes: MrsWarren's Profession is about prostitution. It was not allowed a full public performance until the 1920s, although it was privately performed in London in 1902. In questa opera ...

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4. The Revolution of Literature: 19th-20th Century

... " is a completely untraditional way to begin a novel and leaves the reader with the same confusion as the characters in the story themselves. Another distinguishing factor of Kafka's modernistic approach is that contrary to the other authors mentioned, is Kafka's creation of complete scientific fantasy. This can be interpreted as him projecting his opinions on society and the morbid truth about discrimination people face ... even when something they "are" is completely out of their control. His protagonist Gregor, that turns into a repulsive insect in the midst of his life lives an extre...

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5. The Symbolism of Alienation

... being completely alone. Man is a social creature, and the desire for companionship is something that all men can identify with. No one wants to be an outcast of society. Franz Kafka's novel The Metamorphosis deals with this theme of alienation. Gregor Samsa, transformed into a giant vermin, is isolated from the rest of humanity ... . Kafka uses symbolism to emphasize Gregor's alienation from outside society, from his family, and even from his own humanity, demonstrating how modern society estranges man from his fellow beings, preventing friendship ... on the neck-(49). Gregor seems con...

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6. Metamorphosis

... day-to-day behavior. He maintains his same state of mind, memories, and inner self during his exterior transformation. Although he maintains his mental capacities, it's his change in appearance that causes his family to turn against him and eventually kill him. Kafka uses these events to depict how people can become dehumanized by society and ones own family because of a difference ... in behavior or appearance. While Gregor, transformed in an extreme manner, remains human in his thoughts and emotions. The transformation he endures is an extreme form of physical change. This depiction i...

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