Alienation In The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka

In The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, the economic changes throughout Europe are explored as well as their impacts on the social well-being of the people. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, Europe was undoubtedly the most developed continent on Earth. With the introduction of the industrial revolution in many European countries, citizens migrated to labour opportunities in larger cities, which promised higher standards of living, rather than working in the country for low wages. This change in Europe brought about a huge economic boom in which countries grew at unprecedented rates but also resulted in the neglecting of human rights, safe working conditions and human life resulting in a diminishing European population. The economic buildup …show more content…
As a result, we must examine the impacts of the German economy of the time and how it played a role in the alienation of Kafka. Germany had the most developed and powerful economy of the era due to the work done by Otto von Bismarck. He single-handedly maintained peace throughout Europe during his reign as Chancellor. With a well crafted economic policy, Germany's economic growth led to an increase in power. As a result, they were the model to look up to for industrialization: the German way of life was what everyone aspired to have. This idea is most evident in Kafka’s father. His family is of German-Jewish descent which makes the longing for that style of life more powerful. They felt that as “Germans” they should have been able to have that quality of life but because they lived in a different country, they were unable to achieve that without hard labour. As a result, Kafka was forced to give up his passion for the arts and pursue a career that would bring home a steady income. Ultimately, this led to the alienation of his individual identity as he can never pursue it again because of the societal focus on an individual’s monetary value. Germany also began their segregation of the Jewish population because the Jewish population owned not only controlled “45% of the German banking system (who demanded back loans from bankrupt farmers and labourers) but also many of the …show more content…
The alienation of Gregor draws people’s attention to the effects change have on an individual. It highlights the point that time waits for nobody and if change is imminent, the only way prevent alienation is to embrace