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Essay / Search for identity in The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka
It seems very rare to come across an honest and clear reflection and criticism, a true necroscopy of oneself, because it is much easier to “contemplate [. .] the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the log that is in your own eye” [Matthew 7:3]. Perhaps it was only through the eyes of a vermin that Franz Kafka was finally able to open up completely to his father but, above all, to himself, reaching a level of frankness that could not even be achieved in “Letter to his father”. In "The Metamorphosis", the theme of humanity and identity is revealed through the eyes of Gregor Samsa, who, in his claustrophobic and anxious state of being trapped in the body of vermin, sees all his identity design change. while watching his life pass before his eyes, as his family contributes to his final act of abandonment. Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" completely upends every conception of humanity and identity a reader might have, and perfectly captures the element of an anxiety that emerges along with the acceptance of the fact that you don't know each other at all. At first glance, the book appears to be an abandonment of common sense, a completely absurd situation, nothing more than an “entomological fantasy”. When the main character, Gregor Samsa, “woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.” This statement seems absolutely absurd, since vermin are generally not considered to have the consciousness or mental capacity required to evaluate situations. In “The Metamorphosis,” Franz Kafka proposes the idea that our memory is the main determining factor in our identification. Simply put, since Gregor Samsa remembers...... middle of paper ... was, in my opinion, the main factor in Gregor's difficulties in dealing with himself. The complete lack of help from his parents and the slight disgust with which his sister took care of Gregor's most basic needs could also indicate emotional neglect and could have been the main reason for his identity issues in the first place . In conclusion, because Gregor's identity in his insect form was based entirely on his memory of having been a human, and due to the lack of any physical evidence of his past, he found it difficult to accept your own humanity. During this stage of doubt and questioning, he undergoes a mental and physical metamorphosis, going crazy and drowning in depression and anxiety. However, the final straw for him was precisely his family's refusal to accept him as a human, which contributed to his breakup and abandonment..