Authority in The Metamorphosis

    For Franz Kafka, there seems to be a common theme amongst his writings regarding the authoritative power the government has over the people it rules. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up to discover he has transformed into an insect. Following this realization, he is left crippled and weak, only to be further weakened by his domineering father. My interpretation involves Gregor representing the general public under tyrannical rule; his life before realizing being an insect is dull, seemingly meaningless, and uninteresting. However he does not seem to directly realize it or take any action to question it. He realizes how disabled he is from the controlled life he is living. The pains of hunger and cold that Gregor feels upon his awakening represent when individuals challenge this overreaching governmental authority and realize how deprived they are of basic freedoms and necessities. 

    Gregor's all-powerful father is directly representative of authoritarian rule and is an inspiration of Kafka's father, whom Kafka claims prevented him from living and establishing himself in marriage. This tremendously influenced Kafka's writing and can be seen in The Metamorphosis. I find it interesting how Kafka used inspiration of his patriarchal father and used it to comment on bureaucratic systems of rule and the negative effects of putting too much power in the government's hands.

    Perhaps one of the reasons Murakami decided to gather inspiration from Kafka when writing Samsa In Love is related to Kafka's use of societal references. Kafka's representation of government can be very inspirational to someone like Murakami who often uses cultural and historical references to further enrich his stories.

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