How Does The Metamorphosis Existentialism

Narration engages readers and attracts them to the story from the very beginning. In The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, the choice of narrator contributes to existentialism presented in the story and the time period of anti-Semitism. Existentialism explores human existence and the belief that everything is meaningless. Throughout The Metamorphosis Gregor's character conveys the existentialist beliefs of the narrator and also through the lack of character names provided. Additionally, Kafka uses the family to represent Jews and how they were living during the harsh times of anti-Semitism, because Kafka himself was Jewish. During the anti-Semitism period, Jews were discriminated against and hated. The Jewish people endured negative stereotypes …show more content…
His father, mother, and sister classify as “the” family. For example, when Gregor was beginning to lose his ability to communicate at the beginning of the story the text says, “at the other side of the of the door the sister was quietly lamenting, “Gregor?” (Kafka 13). Gregor was no longer able to speak, therefore he begins to lose his human nature. Through the narrator’s choice to introduce his sister with “the sister” instead of a name is dehumanizing. We, as readers, have no way of characterizing Gregor’s sister because of this. In addition, the story progresses and the Chief Clerk comes to visit him because he hasn’t shown up to work. Gregor remains in his room with the door locked, not letting anyone in and not admitting to his family that something out of the ordinary has occurred with him and his body. The narrator states how his sister begins to feel because Gregor doesn’t answer or reveal himself, “in the room on the left side a painful silence ensued, in the room on the right side the sister began to sob” (Kafka 17). Through the narrator’s choice of identifying Gregor's sister as “the sister” limits character development. The sister is disconnects from possession and her not having a name demonstrates her as unimportant, even in a meaningless sense because we can’t characterize her specifically except only by her label, “the sister”. This conveys Kafka’s practice of …show more content…
Jews during the 19th century faced prejudice and discrimination. Kafka conveys this message because he himself is Jewish. On top of that, Kafka is Jewish and he practices existentialism, which contributes to anti-Semitism because of the ways Jews were treated. They were stripped of their purpose in life and required to find meaning in their lives when it may have seemed like there was no reason to live. The story begins with the family not yet knowing that something has occurred with Gregor and due to this his family identifies as “the family” and his sister is conveyed as “the sister”. As the story progresses and as Gregor loses his human nature, it becomes visible to his family, we acquire the sister’s name, Grete. Towards the end of the story when Gregor is dead, the parent’s name is introduced for the first time, the Samsas. Therefore, this proves that Gregor’s existence was blockading his family from living a normal human life. Their identities were restricted from us and as soon as Gregor degrades and loses his already nonhuman life, the family achieves their purpose in life. Their purpose is to continue to live and move on with their lives without dead weight holding them back. Kafka’s choice of narration throughout the Metamorphosis helps develop a theme of