Franz Kafka was born in 1883 to a middle class family in Prague. He was the eldest of 6 children. Franz and his father had a strained relationship. His father was a cutthroat businessman. Before Kafka focuses solely on writing he had many jobs as an employee in an insurance company, a job he loathed. His working schedule was grueling and unhappy, similarly to Gregor’s in Metamorphasis. Gregor dreads the beep of his alarm clock at five o’clock in the morning, every morning. Many of Franz siblings fell ill to disease and were also killed in Jewish Ghettos and Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. Franz life was filled with trauma and loss. Unlike most children, Franz did not grow up in a house whos foundation was built on love. His father’s selfish and unloving demeanor greatly affected Franz throughout his entire life. In Letters to His Father/ Brief an den Vater Franz Kafka wrote to his father accusing him of emotionally debilitating and abusive behavior. “Dear Father, You asked me recently why I maintain that I am afraid of you. As usual, I was unable to think of any answer to your question, partly for the very reason that I am afraid of you…” The letter was extensive to say the least, at 47 pages long. Kafka’s disconnected and troubled relationship has a great resemblance to Gregor’s relationship with his father in his novel, Metamorphasis. Gregor, the protagonist, is a traveling salesman whose family is dependent on him for financial support. Gregor despises his miserable job but does not quit because of his duty and loyalty to his family. He must become the main breadwinner for the family when his father’s business collapses. His father is indirectly the cause of his misery by creating such a large financial crisis for the family. A great deal of pressure is put on Gregor when this happens. When Gregor transforms into a bug, his father is both verbally and physically abusive to Gregor, hissing at him like a monster and chucking apples at his spine. He is the cause of Gregors’ declining health. Kafka’s father’s characteristics are seen in the characteristics of Gregor’s father, it is obvious that he was a source of inspiration for this character.
