"Parallels between Kafka's life and "The Metamorphosis"".
Many authors reflect an aspect of their life in their novels, poems, or theatre. Such is the case of Franz Kafka who in many of his books, reflects his attitude towards life, his parents and frustrations. These three characteristics may be seen in what is considered to be his masterpiece; The Metamorphosis. This is a story of fantasy when one morning, Gregor Samsa ".found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.". With this novel, we can perhaps understand better Kafka's relationship with his parents, especially with his father and Kafka's internal self.
Kafka has been described as "a small, anonymous individual trapped in a nightmare." and ironically, these words well describe Gregor. When he is changed into a vermin, he thinks he is just having a terrible nightmare that will soon be over but actually it's not. Kafka had contempt for himself because many characters of his books are pathetic and many of them have characteristics which describe Kafka himself, just as Gregor does. Even Gregor's last name rhymes with his own; Samsa and Kafka. Kafka describes himself when he describes Gregor; a person who didn't like his job and who had trouble with his parents: "what a grueling job I?ve picked! Day in, day out-on the road. The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I?ve got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours." What is really interesting, is that Kafka reflects Gregor's inner fears and fantasies in his exterior reality. Gregor was a person that in a sense, was not satisfied on what he did, as he was aware that he was just working to pay his parents" debts and to send is sister to the Conservatory: ".should be sent next year to the Conservatory, regardless of the great expense involved which could surely be made up for in some other way.