Kafka's Metamorphosis by Freud

A detailed Summary of Kafka's Metamorphosis by Freud

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychology created a theory of personality called psychoanalysis, which attributes our thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts (Myers 504). In this theory, he describes three levels of the personality called the id, ego, and superego. Many literary works have these levels contained within them, if analyzed from a figurative psychological standpoint. One story that presented many similar traits from this viewpoint is Kafka's, The Metamorphosis. In this story the characters of Gregor and his family display many characteristics which pertain to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, specifically, the characteristics of the id, ego, and superego. Gregor's family consists of his father, mother, and younger sister. In addition, the story contains many symbols pertaining to Kafka self-image as well as his life.

Gregor's father can be seen as consisting all the three levels of the personality theory when compared to the other characters, which he demonstrates in many instances. He represents the id, which is defined as seeking instant gratification and being oblivious to the outside world's condition and demands, by acting childish and not responding to his daughter's questions at the dinn

In conclusion, there are many aspects of this story that represent Freud's theory clearly and other aspects that are not as clear; but nonetheless they are there. The family shows all of the aspects of the theory through their interactions amongst one another and their disregard of Gregor. Also, Kafka seemed to have used Gregor as a latent manifestation of the pain and anguish which he dealt with within his life. If in fact, Kafka used this short story to interpret his feelings, which were bottled up within him then it seems clear that Kafka had low self-esteem, which probably stemmed from a lack of acceptance from his family, particularly his father. Kafka uses symbolism to allow the reader to try and figure out what was going on in his head. So, in a sense, everything about Gregor is Kafka's self-portrait, from the description of his body as an insect; to his angry father who was relatively distant from the family; and even his over-loving mother, who ironically could not stand to see her own son's face without fainting.

Lastly, the character of Gregor can be seen as a perfect example of the id principle. Evidence that supports this claim is that of Gregor being repressed or locked-up like the id. Also, Gregor's father once again demonstrates his role as the superego by "repressing" or locking Gregor in his room. For example, "...he seized in his right hand the manager's cane... picked up in his left hand a heavy newspaper from the table, and stamping his feet, started brandishing the cane and the newspaper to drive Gregor back into his room" (Kafka 2767). This scene is the perfect representation of the id concept and how the superego strives to control it by repressing its energy into the unconscious or Gregor's room when taken figuratively. The wounds inflicted upon Gregor can easily be taken as a use of defense mechanisms called projection, which is the "disguising of threatening impulses by attributing them to others" (Myers 508). These wounds can be an interpretation of the anguish that Kafka could have gone through throughout his life. In addition, the wounds can signify how he felt about his family neglecting his pain. The most significant defense mechanism used is displacement, which "diverts o

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Approximate Word count = 1506
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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