THE METAMORPHOSIS

BY FRANZ KAFKA

Prepared for
Syeda Afsana Ferdousi

Course
Continental Literature (416)

Prepared by
Shayla Akter
1914 2210 31
Introduction
The Metamorphosis is a novella
written by Franz Kafka. Franz
Kafka was a German-speaking
Bohemian novelist and short-
story writer, widely regarded as
one of the major figures of 20th-
century literature. The
Metamorphosis was first
published in 1915. It is one of
Kafka's best-known works.
Contents
 Marxism fails
 Modernism
 Absurdity of life
 Revolt against Bourgeoisie
 Existential crisis
 Tragedy of a modern man
 Uncertainty of life
Marxism fails
 Marxism
A social, political & economical philosophy
Examines the effect of capitalism of labour,
productivity and economic development
Overturn capitalism in favor of communism
Marxism fails
 Throughout his family life
 Throuhout his professional life
 Throughout his social life
Modernism
 Modernist literature
 Modernism in The Metamorphosis
Absurdity of life
 The absurd event
 The responses of the various characters
Revolt against Bourgeoisie

 The capitalist class who own most of society’s

wealth and means of production
 Through the metamorphosis and the character
Gregor, Kafka represents a reaction against
bourgeois society & being imprisoned by its
social & economical demands.
Existential crisis
 It is a philosophy that embraces the
‘meaninglessness of life’
 Gregor’s transformation
 Happiness will be achieved when people
are able to embrace the
meaninglessness of their lives and be at
peace with it, while using their free will
to live in the way they desire.
Tragedy of a modern man
 The Metamorphosis tells the tragedy of
an individual in society under the
appearance of the relationship of family
members.
 It shows the fact that we establish slave
and master relations with each other in
society.
Uncertainty of life
 Uncertainty is a part of life. Everyone
feels it on a daily basis. From big things
to small, being uncertain is very normal.
Thank you