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The Metamorphosis : Key info

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The Metamorphosis is a notable literary work by Franz Kafka. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Metamorphosis.

Key info

Key Facts

  • Full Title: The Metamorphosis
  • Original Title: Die Verwandlung (German)
  • Author: Franz Kafka (1883–1924)
  • Title of the Author: Modernist, Existentialist, Absurdist Novelist & Short Story Writer
  • Source: Inspired by Kafka’s own feelings of alienation, strained family relationship (especially with his authoritarian father), and themes of modern bureaucratic dehumanization.
  • Written Time: 1912 (in Prague, during Kafka’s early literary career)
  • First Published: 1915 (by Kurt Wolff Verlag, Leipzig, Germany)
  • Publisher: Kurt Wolff Verlag (first edition in German)
  • Genre: Modernist Fiction / Absurdist Literature / Existentialist Novella / Allegory
  • Form: Novella, divided into three parts (not formally titled, but narratively structured as transformation, alienation, and death).
  • Structure: Linear narrative with symbolic and surreal elements; blends realism with the fantastic; focuses on psychological and social disintegration.
  • Tone: Disturbing, tragicomic, ironic, surreal, and existential; mixes horror with dark humor.
  • Point of View: Third-person limited (follows Gregor Samsa’s perspective closely, especially his consciousness, even after his transformation).
  • Significance: A milestone of modernist and absurdist literature. It explores themes of alienation, family obligation, loss of humanity, and the absurd condition of modern life. “Kafkaesque” became a literary term from such works.
  • Language: German
  • Famous Line: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.” (One of the most iconic opening lines in world literature)
  • Setting:
  • Time Setting: Early 20th century (contemporary to Kafka’s Prague, pre–World War I atmosphere)
  • Place Setting: Gregor Samsa’s family apartment (primarily his bedroom).

 

Key Notes

  • Original Title – Die Verwandlung: The original German title of the novella is Die Verwandlung, which means “The Transformation” or “The Metamorphosis.” Franz Kafka wrote it in 1912, and it was first published in 1915.
  • The Metamorphosis – Significance of the Title: Metamorphosis means a sudden transformation or change. In the story, Gregor Samsa’s overnight transformation into a monstrous insect is not just a physical change, but a symbol of modern life’s alienation, helplessness, and dehumanization.
  • Gregor Samsa’s Transformation: Gregor’s change into an insect reflects the inner suffering of human beings and the reality of becoming useless in the eyes of family and society. Once the breadwinner of the family, he later becomes completely immobile and a burden.