1
The Appearance of Freudian Nature in Franz Kafka’s The
Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is one of Franz Kafka’s most interesting works, which was written in
1912 and published in 1915. It is the story of a salesman, Gregor Samsa, who one morning,
transforms into a large bug. He was kept hidden in his room by his family and finally died due to
an apple that was thrown by his father. However, the story is more than just a transformation of a
human being into a big insect. Vladimir Nabokov, in this case, refers to anyone who reads The
Metamorphosis as more than just a fantasy as a good reader1.
The Metamorphosis is a projection of Kafka’s own life, even when Gregor Samsa
undergoes his transformation. His relationship with his tyrannical father, whose only conclusion
of his work was a son with a guilty conscience, full of terror, anger, and lack of self-confidence,
is depicted throughout his works. As he mentioned in a letter to his father, he has suffered from a
sense of guilt since he was a child, due to his lack of self-confidence, and notes that his father is
responsible for it all2. Therefore, The Metamorphosis can be analyzed from a psychologically
critical point of view, whose premises and procedures were established by Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939).
Psychological Analysis of The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis represents Kafka himself. Much like Kafka’s
antihero, Gregor lives in a “Kafkaesque” environment, a nightmarish situation that is full of
terror, horror, and angst. This situation reminds the reader of the condition that Kafka himself
1
Nabokov, V. Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis. In F. Bowers ed., Lectures on Literature, San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 251-283, 1980
2
Kafka, Franz. Dearest Father, Trans. Hannah and Richard Stokes, London: One World Classics LTD, 55, 21, 80, 40,
55, 2008
, 2
experienced throughout his whole life. The Metamorphosis is a symbolic representation of
Gregor’s unconscious world. According to Freud, our mind consists of two parts: conscious and
unconscious. He demonstrated that our suppressed wills, feelings, horrors, drives, conflicts, and
even memories are held in the unconscious part of our psyche3. The first scene, which takes us to
Gregor’s unconscious world, is the setting of the story.
The story opens with “When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from troubled dreams, he
found himself transformed right there in his bed into some sort of monstrous insect."4. In this
image, we have the words “woke”, “dreams” and “bed”, accordingly. It is possible to say that
Gregor simply awakes, but more so, he transfers from the conscious to the unconscious world
which is the world of dreams. Moreover, it is mentioned that Gregor’s body is cold: “... and
wanted to probe the spot with a leg, but drew it back again at once, for the touch sent cold
shivers rippling through him”4. This coldness is an attribute of the unconscious world for the
images of night and darkness. The storm and rainy coldness suggest features of the unconscious
state.
The next scene, appearing to be from Gregor’s unconscious world, describes the times of
the story. Interestingly, the times which are portrayed throughout The Metamorphosis are mostly
night or evening. Even if the time is morning, it is either frosty or raining. For instance, the story
begins one morning when Gregor understands he is no longer a human being, but a big insect. In
the third paragraph, it is mentioned that “Gregor’s gaze then shifted to the window, where the
bleak weather raindrops could be heard striking the metal sill-made him feel quite melancholy.”4
3
Bressler C.E., Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, 4th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education,
145,147, 146, 2007
4
Puchner, Martin, et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature (Shorter 4th Ed.). Vol. 2, W. W. Norton &
Company, 2019
The Appearance of Freudian Nature in Franz Kafka’s The
Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is one of Franz Kafka’s most interesting works, which was written in
1912 and published in 1915. It is the story of a salesman, Gregor Samsa, who one morning,
transforms into a large bug. He was kept hidden in his room by his family and finally died due to
an apple that was thrown by his father. However, the story is more than just a transformation of a
human being into a big insect. Vladimir Nabokov, in this case, refers to anyone who reads The
Metamorphosis as more than just a fantasy as a good reader1.
The Metamorphosis is a projection of Kafka’s own life, even when Gregor Samsa
undergoes his transformation. His relationship with his tyrannical father, whose only conclusion
of his work was a son with a guilty conscience, full of terror, anger, and lack of self-confidence,
is depicted throughout his works. As he mentioned in a letter to his father, he has suffered from a
sense of guilt since he was a child, due to his lack of self-confidence, and notes that his father is
responsible for it all2. Therefore, The Metamorphosis can be analyzed from a psychologically
critical point of view, whose premises and procedures were established by Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939).
Psychological Analysis of The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis represents Kafka himself. Much like Kafka’s
antihero, Gregor lives in a “Kafkaesque” environment, a nightmarish situation that is full of
terror, horror, and angst. This situation reminds the reader of the condition that Kafka himself
1
Nabokov, V. Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis. In F. Bowers ed., Lectures on Literature, San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 251-283, 1980
2
Kafka, Franz. Dearest Father, Trans. Hannah and Richard Stokes, London: One World Classics LTD, 55, 21, 80, 40,
55, 2008
, 2
experienced throughout his whole life. The Metamorphosis is a symbolic representation of
Gregor’s unconscious world. According to Freud, our mind consists of two parts: conscious and
unconscious. He demonstrated that our suppressed wills, feelings, horrors, drives, conflicts, and
even memories are held in the unconscious part of our psyche3. The first scene, which takes us to
Gregor’s unconscious world, is the setting of the story.
The story opens with “When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from troubled dreams, he
found himself transformed right there in his bed into some sort of monstrous insect."4. In this
image, we have the words “woke”, “dreams” and “bed”, accordingly. It is possible to say that
Gregor simply awakes, but more so, he transfers from the conscious to the unconscious world
which is the world of dreams. Moreover, it is mentioned that Gregor’s body is cold: “... and
wanted to probe the spot with a leg, but drew it back again at once, for the touch sent cold
shivers rippling through him”4. This coldness is an attribute of the unconscious world for the
images of night and darkness. The storm and rainy coldness suggest features of the unconscious
state.
The next scene, appearing to be from Gregor’s unconscious world, describes the times of
the story. Interestingly, the times which are portrayed throughout The Metamorphosis are mostly
night or evening. Even if the time is morning, it is either frosty or raining. For instance, the story
begins one morning when Gregor understands he is no longer a human being, but a big insect. In
the third paragraph, it is mentioned that “Gregor’s gaze then shifted to the window, where the
bleak weather raindrops could be heard striking the metal sill-made him feel quite melancholy.”4
3
Bressler C.E., Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, 4th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education,
145,147, 146, 2007
4
Puchner, Martin, et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature (Shorter 4th Ed.). Vol. 2, W. W. Norton &
Company, 2019
