Metamorphosis and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883 in Prague, the largest city in the Czech Republic. He was part of a Jewish family that spoke German. The Kafka family was considered to be middle class and Kafka attended Law school and worked in insurance while writing in the evenings and late at night. People who worked with him liked him and thought well of him. He was a friendly person who worked hard and had a good sense of humor. Franz had two brothers who died at early ages, leaving him as the only son in a family with three daughters. He lived with his family for most of his life and had a difficult relationship with both of his parents. His mother stayed at home and his father was a successful business …show more content…
He thinks to himself, "What 's happened to me?" Although Kafka portrays the main character as an undesirable creature that causes dismay to the people he encounters, it is important to realize that Gregor is human. The problem he encounters is loss of will to power preceded by a number of other factors. Gregor is in distress because his metamorphosis takes away the basic human needs listed in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Inez Martinez confirms that human bodies have requirements to be fulfilled, “Gregor is having a problem with his body, so to speak, Gregor’s unconscious problem is literalized in his being possessed by the body of a species normally conceived of as other, but apparently to our horror, latent within the human. As a salesman, Gregor has neglected his body’s need for food, rest, companionship, and sex.” This quote acknowledges that Gregor has not been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle which is the bases of human survival. Krause also comments on human desires when she stated, “Gregor as a bug is utterly human in his desperation and desires. He is tired and hungry, weak and weary, angry and hurting, dreaming and watching, distraught and confused” (28). Gregor is obviously struggling because of the inability to sustain his physiological and safety needs, which leads to complications in his belonging and
Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883 in Prague, the largest city in the Czech Republic. He was part of a Jewish family that spoke German. The Kafka family was considered to be middle class and Kafka attended Law school and worked in insurance while writing in the evenings and late at night. People who worked with him liked him and thought well of him. He was a friendly person who worked hard and had a good sense of humor. Franz had two brothers who died at early ages, leaving him as the only son in a family with three daughters. He lived with his family for most of his life and had a difficult relationship with both of his parents. His mother stayed at home and his father was a successful business …show more content…
He thinks to himself, "What 's happened to me?" Although Kafka portrays the main character as an undesirable creature that causes dismay to the people he encounters, it is important to realize that Gregor is human. The problem he encounters is loss of will to power preceded by a number of other factors. Gregor is in distress because his metamorphosis takes away the basic human needs listed in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Inez Martinez confirms that human bodies have requirements to be fulfilled, “Gregor is having a problem with his body, so to speak, Gregor’s unconscious problem is literalized in his being possessed by the body of a species normally conceived of as other, but apparently to our horror, latent within the human. As a salesman, Gregor has neglected his body’s need for food, rest, companionship, and sex.” This quote acknowledges that Gregor has not been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle which is the bases of human survival. Krause also comments on human desires when she stated, “Gregor as a bug is utterly human in his desperation and desires. He is tired and hungry, weak and weary, angry and hurting, dreaming and watching, distraught and confused” (28). Gregor is obviously struggling because of the inability to sustain his physiological and safety needs, which leads to complications in his belonging and