On The Intentions of Franz Kafka in Writing The Metamorphosis

Its official, I've got too much free time on my hands, digitally editing Franz Kakfa over an iconic picture of ex-president Bush's "mission accomplished" speech.

The intention(s) of Franz Kafka in writing The Metamorphosis were, initially at least, difficult to determine. This is because the novel is not outright one of those moral-type stories that recaps what the moral was at the end, like children’s books (now where is the fun in that?), and I was unable to find any statement by the author on why he wrote the book (and obtaining one would be virtually impossible as Mr. Kafka caught a serious case of dead in 1924). Over much time, and much thought, I have come to the conclusion that the most obvious of Franz Kafka’s intentions in writing The Metamorphosis is to tell a tale without, and to show that not everything in life has a, happy ending. To make a book that stands out. With this book, I feel that he wanted it to stand apart from other novels, as there are many books out there with happy endings (e.g. To Kill a Mockingbird). He probably thought something along the lines of “If you want a book with a happy ending, go read something else. I’m going to be different.” 

And he accomplishes this quite nicely. The Metamorphosis is very much so a different book from the normal reading that is given to students (or at least, that I’ve encountered so far.) There really isn’t any back-and-forth waving of the possible outcome/fate of the protagonist throughout the novel, for example, as one might find in Catcher in the Rye. It is (implied isn’t the right word, maybe “whispered in the tone” would be a better term for it) that Gregor is doom from the beginning, that really make this novel stand out for me. 

“Mission Accomplished” one might say.