Psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis. The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka Part I Psychoanalytic Reading 2022-10-29

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A psychoanalytical reading of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" can offer insight into the psychological conflicts and defense mechanisms of the protagonist, Gregor Samsa.

On the surface, the story is about a man who wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a giant bug. However, upon deeper analysis, the transformation can be seen as a manifestation of Gregor's inner turmoil and feelings of alienation and powerlessness.

Through the lens of psychoanalysis, Gregor's transformation can be seen as a defense mechanism, a way for him to distance himself from his own feelings and the reality of his situation. As a traveling salesman, Gregor is trapped in a job that he hates and feels deeply unfulfilled by. He is also responsible for supporting his family financially, which adds to his feelings of responsibility and burden.

The transformation into a bug can be seen as a way for Gregor to escape from these feelings and the demands of his life. It allows him to retreat into a new, animalistic identity where he no longer has to think about his own problems or responsibilities.

Additionally, the transformation can be seen as a way for Gregor to reject his own humanity and the expectations that come with it. As a bug, he is no longer expected to conform to societal norms or fulfill traditional roles. This can be seen as a rebellion against the constraints of his human life and a desire to escape from the burden of being a responsible adult.

However, the transformation also has negative consequences for Gregor. It causes him to lose his connection to the human world and to be shunned and misunderstood by his family and society. This further reinforces his feelings of isolation and powerlessness.

Overall, a psychoanalytical reading of "The Metamorphosis" reveals the inner turmoil and defense mechanisms of the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, and offers insight into the psychological consequences of feeling trapped and disconnected from one's own humanity.

The Psychoanalytical Work of the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

From this beginning Gregor begins to explore his new limitations and narrow world view, his sight becomes dim, he cannot move without constant pain and great effort. That could also indicate some oedipal issues. It is his perfectionist emotional driver that made his literature something very special. When she noticed him under the couch, she received such a fright that, unable to control herself, she slammed the door again from outside. How these boarders stuff themselves and here I am starving to death! When making a decision, the ego balances out both needs of the id and the superego.

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high landers: A Psychoanalytic study of Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis"

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

For at some point in the story he had a fight with his father him in the appearance of a bug and he loses that fight, ending up injured and not being able to move as before. It could be looked at as some kind of power loss, or you could say losing the crown making him feel less a man than he was. Here we will exam Kafka's masterpiece from a psychoanalytical perspective to see that this work was an insightful self examination of depression, mental health and the role of carers when love turns to loathing. The Id was entirely is entirely unconscious and only concerned with the satisfaction of primal needs. A one page biography of your family, where you grew up, your education, relationships and the current here and now situation.

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The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka Part I Psychoanalytic Reading

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

All these interpretations of Kafka's work should make us wary of considering that there is a final and definitive account of his extraordinary stories. Deep down, I presume that the Father just wants to keep on staying at home without working and have Gregor as part of the family again, but because his priority is the welfare of the family, the Father sees his duty as needing to protect the family from any kind of arm. . His role in society, and in his family? His writings have been seen in the context of existentialism, Jewish mysticism and as a warning of the advent of totalitarianism. Indeed, it is a tribute to his art that it defies easy explanation.

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Metamorphosis Psychoanalysis

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

The ego is the part of the psyche that is in contact with the external world. This pertains to all the authors of the piece, their spouses or partners. Because when he lost, he felt more and more how his parents including his sister, started neglecting him more. Kafka wrote the story based on family issues, and though it does include some humor, while reading through a psychoanalytical lens you can clearly see the pain and neglect he felt with his family. How otherwise would Gregor miss a train! Find out more about the Close Conflicting interests help Please list any fees and grants from, employment by, consultancy for, shared ownership in or any close relationship with, at any time over the preceding 36 months, any organisation whose interests may be affected by the publication of the response.


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The Psychology of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

It stands for reason and good sense as well as controlling voluntary functions such as movement. However, a recent book by Reference HawesHawes 2008 has sought to debunk what it sees as the excessive mythologising of Kafka and to present him primarily as a writer rather than as an other-wordly guru. Gregor was the sole provider, and eventually his family grew less appreciative of him. His family are dependent on Gregor going to work, earning their keep and supporting their needs when suddenly he cannot no longer act in this role. For he started actually looking at himself as a bug until he eventually believed he became one. At home things have changed now that I have been fired and lost my income. It also shows how easy it is for carers and psychiatric staff to be unintentionally cruel to sufferers from mental illness.

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Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

On the other side of the door are his family and the chief clerk of his firm, who has arrived at the house to ask why he is not at work. Unfortunately, what comes out of Gregor's mouth does not sound human to his audience. Metamorphosis is open to a multitude of interpretations, but a potentially fruitful approach is to see parallels between the predicament of the story's main character, Gregor Samsa, and that of people with severe mental illness. Kafka's story captures this experience very well. His biography homework showed that his father was not only controlling but bitter in that he lost a business owing considerable money to Gregor's employer who now expected him to pay off his fathers debts through a reduced salary for his own work putting considerable burden on him to support the family at home. Critics have attempted to explain Kafka's work in a variety of ways. It could be argued that on some level, Gregor has intentionally shut himself away within this new armor and purposely cut himself off from even basic conversation.


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Psychoanalytical Reading

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

Gregor woke up as a vermin and felt horrible. The other character, the three boarders who function as a single entity, unknowingly reside alongside the pitiful wreck for some time before that evening, when Gregor scuttles out to hear his sister play the violin. Freud felt that these three components were in a constant state of flux to create equilibrium within the self. Gregor's sister Grete tries to be supportive by leaving food for him and cleaning his room. One has to note that Gregor could only be alienated by his family because he had no friends or significant other.

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A Psychoanalytical Criticism of The Metamorphosis

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

From this perspective, we might look at Kafka's Prague and see how it is reflected in the story. Here is my card and details. So I think that the whole metamorphosis happened in his mind, his unconscious. Think of Grete, for instance. There was a stigma attached to being a German American back in the late 1940's and as a result, my father would have nothing to do with this German heritage.

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Kafka, Metamorphosis a Psychoanalytical View

psychoanalytical reading of metamorphosis

Gregory: Yes, it is like I was a donkey with burden I could no longer carry. This includes financial instability, which he does by getting a job, and any emotional stress, which the Father tries to prevent by pushing back Gregor into his room and punishing him. He raises no real questions as to why he has transformed, when he may turn back into a functioning member of the family, or how he has come to be this way. The family respond to Gregor's plight with horror, aggression and indifference. This perspective would examine how the female characters are portrayed as well. This is an experience that is familiar to many patients who feel that they are talked about or over by staff and relatives. As I really said in the beginning there is a lot of ways to interrupt and analyze this short story depending on which angle you look at it.

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