Kafka's Fantasy of Punishment in 'The Metamorphosis'

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Hellmuth Kaiser “Kafka’s Fantasy of Punishment” Unlike all other works of literature, those by Frantz Kafka often adopt a diverse perspective on events which focus more on the analytical interpretations. These works, due to their more analytical perspectives, demonstrate the psychological development of individuals. As with all actions, there are conscious and unconscious motivations for the completion of them, and the writings of Frantz Kafka are no different. This article focuses on the role of the unconsciousness. Personalities are not solely formed through concrete biological processes but also by developments within the psyche; in The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa awakes to discover that he is a giant insect, for no apparent reason. Prior to the shift in Gregor’s physical state, Gregor’s father’s business is shut down, his mother is in a frail state, and his sister maintains the household while Gregor provides financial resources. The struggle in the story is characterized by dependency; as Gregor began to develop himself, it came at the cost of his father’s mental state and capacity to conduct daily operations (this is recognized by the rise in Gregor’s success as the Father’s success declines). The reverse is true as well: as Gregor eroded, the Father regained his competence and developed. While in the Greek story regarding Oedipus, it is the son that defeated the father, The Metamorphosis depicts the tale in the reverse, where the father ultimately triumphs over the son, effectively reversing the direction of development. While the exact cause of Gregor’s metamorphosis is unknown, it can be concluded that it is psychological and related to Gregor’s drive to become a successful at cost to his father. There are underlying tensions between the father and Gregor and during the two scenes in which conflict arises between the two, the father seems glad to

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