Modernistic Perspective on Kafka's Metamorphosis

Abstract

This study explores Kafka's "Metamorphosis" using a modernistic lens. The study employs a qualitative method, analyzing textual lines through the ideas of modernism presented by Berry (1995). Findings reveal that Kafka employed experimental writing techniques of symbolism and stream of consciousness to depict elements of hope and the human connection with himself. Moreover, "Metamorphosis" contains modernistic themes of dehumanization, existential crisis, fear, violence, and absurdity. All these themes signify the degradation of Samsa to the extent that he ultimately meets his death. This study paves the way for academia to perceive literature in a broader sense rather than confining it to a single lens of interpretation.