Wilhelm Emrich, a highly acclaimed professor in Berlin, states that Kafka's writings can only be interpreted by accepting the full truth: "An assistive and willing readiness for the full truth means the ability to renounce all personal, limited ideas, wishes, and efforts of will and to enter into the fullness of all of that-which-is" (50). What he is suggesting is that in order to truly hear what Kafka has to say, one is required to completely disregard the conventional.

For example, if one were to read "The Metamorphosis," and merely regurgitate the surface details of the story, they would entirely miss the truth behind it. On the level of relationships, the average reader might be touched by the family's tolerance for the creature, noting that they may not have been able to do the same in a similar situation. He or she may overlook the truth of this story as "the realization that even the most bea

Pheiffer, Johannes. "The Metamorphosis:" Kafka: A Collection Of Critical

Muir, Edwin. "Franz Kafka:" Kafka: A Collection Of Critical Essays. Ed. Ronald

he may feel that he has failed because most readers do not search beyond the surface for the richness and value of the work. He may feel discouraged when readers try to criticize and analyze his work, assigning it concrete meanings and messages, when he is insisting that man cannot possibly fathom the real message because he is so wrapped up in his illusions.

The visitor in "Up in the Gallery" wanted to save the equestrienne from the ringmaster and the crowds but realized that he could not do it alone. Instead, he sat where he was and cried about his helplessness.

Edwin and Willa Muir. Harmondsworth, England. Penguin Books. 1953.

It is difficult to draw from "The Metamorphosis," any particular divine theme without first knowing that religion was the whole world to Kafka and that "he viewed the total sum of possible experience in terms of religion" (Muir, 36). There is a subtle religious inference within Gregor's beetle existence where he seeks the "way to the unknown nourishment he had been longing for" (Emrich, 145). Is he longing for God, or looking for comfort in His absence? The first meal that Gregor was given consisted of bread and milk. Bread symbolizes that which is sacred in some religions. Catholicism, for example, blesses bread as the body of Christ. In biblical parables, seven loaves were broken to feed a large crowd. When Gregor refused the bread and milk, one might infer that he was rejecting God for putting him in his unthinkable condition. Emrich emphasizes Gregor's possible rejection of faith:

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Approximate Word count = 2577
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)