Analysis of The Metamorphosis Essay -- Franz Kafka Magical Realism Lit

Analysis of The Metamorphosis This story "The Metamorphosis" is about Gregor, a workaholic, who is changed into an insect and must then deal with his present reality. The hardest part of being an insect for him was the alienation from his family, which eventually leads to his death. In reading the short story "The Metamorphosis," (1971),one can realize how small the difference is between Magical Realism and Fantastic. This literature written by the Austrian, Franz Kafka, is often debated over. The magical elements in this story are obvious like they should be in fantastic literature. It is not often that humans are turned into insects. Another magical element that is not as clear is the unconditional love that Gregor had for his parents and sister after they had long forgotten about him. The realist elements in this story include about everything else. A characteristic of fantasy is that there is only one magical element in a realistic world. The reaction to the metamorphosis by Gregor's family is probably the most realistic. This includes the way they alienated him and the conditional live they had for him. Most people, like this family, love someone only when it benefits themselves. In this fantastic story, the author Franz Kafka uses the metamorphosis to depict how he sees society. Throughout the story, he makes one see society through Gregor's eyes. Kafka portrays society as being fickle and a close-minded one. The purpose in this story, like all fantastic stories, is told at a deeper level. The purpose of "The Metamorphosis" is to show how people gradually change over time. Gregor, due to his situation with work and his family, was slowly changing into a monster and he did not even know it. People do cha... ...." Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories. Ed. Nahum N. Glatzer. N.Y.: Schocken Books Inc., 1971: 89-139. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 119-124. Rabkin, Eric S. The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Form. Cleveland: The Press of Case Western Reserve University, 1973. 8-19. Roh, Franz. "Magical Realism: Post-Expressionism." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 15-32. Simpkins, Scott. "Sources of Magical Realism/ Supplements to Realism in Contemporary Latin American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 145-159.