Jamshaid Mushtaq

Franz Kafka was a German writer who lived from 1883 till 1924. He had an unhappy life bulldozed by his ever-present and domineering father who always threw jeers at him and degraded him as Kafka didn’t conform to his wishes for a career. All of Kafka’s novels seem to have a tinge of the hurt he felt throughout his short life. “The Metamorphosis” is one of his most famous novels, one of the few works published during his lifetime. The story goes like this: George Samsa, a travelling salesman, finds himself one morning suddenly transformed into a hideous insect. His family initially takes pity at his condition and tries to make him comfortable, but soon they become fed up with the constant worry and come to detest him. They try to get rid of him, only for George to die of despair in the insect form. One of the lessons that can be drawn from the story is that when you are the sole earner in your family, everyone cares for you greatly. However, when you fall ill and the money stops flowing, your loved ones initially care for you, but they later come to hate you for causing them additional pangs. Gradually, they pray for you to just die so they can get on with their lives freely. Another pertinent lesson could be that the world is devoid of empathy. People are only concerned with work. They don’t realize that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Once you stop working because of any reason, even if it is a serious illness, your employers will rush to replace you as a worker. Here, we see again that Kafka is knitting his own life’s tragedy into the tapestry of the story. Overall, the book is a relevant read for all people stuck in the hustle-and-bustle of today’s work-oriented, apathetic, capitalist world where people find but scarce opportunities for rest and recreation. I would personally give it five out of five stars.