8th Annual WML Academic Symposium

Time: 9:00
Room: 224
Presenter(s): Madison Kimble
Title: Regarding Franz Kafka in the Light of His Sufferings
Developed under the guidance of Prof. Shirley Jefferds , English

No author can write in a vacuum divorced from his experience. Franz Kafka is the epitome of this phenomenon. The alienation found in Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” illustrates Kafka’s relationship with his father and depicts his interpretation of his Jewish heritage. Kafka’s life was plagued by inadequacy and lack of acceptance. His life, characterized by cowardice and isolation, infuses his writing. Kafka’s work depicts immense misery of the main character who is cast out from his community. The alienation that stemmed from Kafka’s relationship with his father and his religion are vital lenses through which to view “The Metamorphosis.”