Running head: COMPARING THE METAMORPHOSIS AND THE JUDGEMENT 1

Comparing the Metamorphosis and the Judgment

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COMPARING THE METAMORPHOSIS AND THE JUDGEMENT 2

Comparing the Metamorphosis and the Judgment

Introduction

Franz Kafka is known for his elaborate writings on issues such as death, art, isolation,

family conflicts, and distortion of reality. Most of his short stories are based on the social and

political events that took place in Germany and across the globe in the early 20th century. While

using a somber yet satirical tone, Kafka exposes the weak links among human beings that are

depicted in the disposition of poor character traits considered not only unethical but also criminal

and sometimes going against religious teachings. This essay presents a comparison of Kafka’s

The Metamorphosis and The Judgment while exploring the themes, conflicts, expositions,

distortions, and overall resolutions of the stories.

Themes

The theme of death is evident in both stories as the main characters are pushed by

circumstances to commit suicide. The Judgment and The Metamorphosis present similar themes

that are evident throughout the stories. A common theme exhibited in both stories is death. In

The Judgement, Kafka presents two deaths- the death of Georg Bendemann and his mother.

Although the story starts with scantily explaining the death of Bendemann's mother, it is evident

that this event has adversely affected his father who thinks of nothing else except dying. The old

sick man lies on a bed and Bendemann sacrifices his time and energy to attend to him and ensure

he has enough rest; however, the old man thinks that Bendemann wants him to die quickly and

becomes overprotective of himself (Steinberg, 1962). He does not trust his son and thinks that

his friend who is purportedly doing business in a foreign country was dead a long time ago. The

old man thinks that Bendemann should grieve and look pale and emaciated just because his

mother died and that is why he accuses him of not mourning properly. When his father
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condemned him to death by drowning Bendemann feels guilty and rushes to the river to commit

suicide. This death would have been prevented had Bendemann been a little patient and not rush

to make decisions. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka depicts Samsa’s frustrations with the way his

family members treat him after he transforms into a giant insect drive him to commit suicide

(Kafka, 2002). After working hard for years as a salesman and helping his parents to pay their

debts, Samsa finds himself transformed into an insect. Although he struggles to live his usual

ordinary lifestyle and interact with family members, they ignore and at last abandon him at the

mercies of a caretaker lady called Anchorwoman (Kafka, 2002). She takes good care of him but

as the frustrations intensify, Samsa decided to starve to death. In both stories, the main characters

commit suicide as a way out of their unending frustrations in life; unfortunately.

The themes of frustrations and freedom are also evident in both stories. In The

Metamorphosis, Kafka describes Samsa as a young man with immense potential for career

growth. However, his life takes a different turn when he is transformed into an insect. After this

transformation, his parents decide that he should be confined to his room which should be locked

at all times (Kafka, 2002). Samsa does not have the freedom to freely move around and interact

with his family members and friends. In addition, Samsa feels abandoned and thinks that nobody

cares about him or his predicaments. Eventually, he starves to death after realizing that he will

live the rest of his life as an insect confined in one solitary room. Samsa thought that by

committing suicide, he will be freeing himself from the frustrations and mistreatment he faced

while alive as an insect (Kafka, 2002). In The Judgment Bendemann sacrifices a lot and is

committed to taking good care of his old and sickly father; However, the father seems very

arrogant, disrespectful, unappreciative, and selfish as he thinks and worries about his interests

only (Steinberg, 1962). He ridicules everything that Bendemann does and thinks that he is
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selfish, accuses him of wanting his father dead, and even thinks that he is not bothered about his

mother’s death. All these accusations and the failure by his father to appreciate Bendemann’s

efforts are rewarded by a curse that he will die by drowning. To escape from these

disappointments in life and his scornful father, Bendemann decides to end his life by plunging

into a river (Steinberg, 1962). His father is left more depressed and stressed knowing that there is

nobody else to take care of him. These two stories reveal the themes of freedom and frustrations

and how they drive innocent characters to live miserable lives and eventually commit suicide as

a way of getting away from their predicaments.

Father-Son Conflicts

Both The Judgment and The Metamorphosis reveal the open conflicts between fathers

and their sons. In The Metamorphosis, the conflict between Samsa and his father occurred as

soon as he transformed into an insect. His father realized that Samsa would not be of any help

since he will no longer provide for the family or pay his parents’ debts; Therefore, his father

perceived him as a burden and useless individual who became annoying and a nuisance to

everybody (Kafka, 2002). Unfortunately, Samsa's mother does not intervene to control her

husband's anger and make him understand the predicament that their son is going through.

Samsa's father is lazy, selfish, and egocentric and only pays attention or attends to people who

will benefit him. Since Samsa has no value, he has become a burden in his family and the father

is glad to dispose of his body after he commits suicide. In The Judgement, Kafka does not

present a clear reason why Bendemann’s father hated, scorned, and despised his son (Steinberg,

1962). The father thinks that Bendemann is a burden because he no longer talks to his friends or

seems worried about his mother's death. Everything that Bendemann does to help his father or

improve his life is scorned by his father. The resentment pushes Bendemann to commit suicide
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and get away from his stubborn and insensitive father. Both stories show that there is a poor

relationship between fathers and their son. Perhaps this may be the negative consequences of

fathers working far away from their families and returning home when they are retired, old,

weak, and unable to make the right decisions due to prolonged work-related stress and

depression associated with the industrial revolution era.

Expositions and Resolutions

Both stories start from the middle of the plot and then go back to past events before

resuming the current events and proceeding to the end. The stories start from a climax where

events that unfold make a life-changing turn in the lives of the main characters. In The

Judgement, The story starts when Bendemann is writing a letter to his friend before his father

starts to accuse him of lying to him (Steinberg, 1962). In The Transformation, the story starts

when Samsa wakes up and finds his body transformed into a giant insect. Both stories end

tragically with the main characters committing suicide after prolonged struggles with rejection,

self-pity, and personal failures (Kafka, 2002). Samsa commits suicide by starvation while

Bendemann drowns in a nearby river. The endings of these stories have similar resolutions and

endings that offer important lessons that death is not freedom from disappointments in life;

hence, people should always seek freedom from oppression in the right way and avoid using

shortcuts such as committing suicide as a way out of their predicaments.

Distortion of Reality

In The Judgement, Kafka distorts reality by creating the impression that Bendemann

followed his father’s curse and went and plunged into a river (Steinberg, 1962). Someone cannot

commit suicide merely because someone has prophesized it. This distortion of reality is a

warning for parents or people who like wishing bad things to happen to others. In The
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Transformation, Kafka has exaggerated Samsa’s transformation. It is impossible for people to

transform into insects or other animals (Kafka, 2002). This distortion of reality helps the reader

to understand that although people cannot transform into other living things, something may

happen and render them disabled or bedridden; hence, requiring the assistance and help of their

colleagues, friends, and family members. Therefore, this event proves the need for people to

choose the right friends.

Conclusion

In both stories, Kafka has managed to depict reality in its true meaning and essence. The

author has used distorted reality, applicable themes, conflicts, and exposition that enable the

reader to follow the story and understand events as they unfold even without following a

chronological order. These events have been magnified to help the reader to understand the

magnitude of some occurrences in life. For example, Samsa's transformation into an insect

implies that some unpredictable events may occur in life and change the lifestyles of individuals.

An example of this is when a family's breadwinner becomes crippled or dies yet the dependants

are too young to provide for themselves. The reality presented in Bendemann's tragic death is

based on what parents tell their children and how this may affect their lives. Parents should

always wish all the best and guide their children appropriately but not scorn them.
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References

Kafka, F. (2002). Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Other Writings (Vol. 65). London: A&C

Black.

Steinberg, E. R. (1962). The Judgment in Kafka's" The Judgment". Modern Fiction Studies, 23-

30.