Gregor Samsa Anti Hero Essay

Anti-heroic Journey and the Crisis in Masculinity brought about by the Modern Age

What is an Anti-hero or anti-heroine? An anti-hero is a central character in a story, movie, or drama that lacks conventional heroic attributes. The anti-hero is often compared to, and probably derived from, the tragic hero, which can be traced back to the popular stage dramas of ancient Greece. The tragic hero is an archetypal hero with one major, or fatal, flaw that leads to his downfall, destruction, and usually death. The novel, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka shows Gregor Samsa as an anti-hero, battling his masculinity through his relationship with his father and society which is also reflected in this modern age. Gregor is the oldest and only son, who takes over the family by being responsible for the debts and welfare of his family.
An anti-hero has an "instigator" or a partner who
For example, Gregor is fighting to be a better man than his father and wants to take revenge. The conflict between father versus son is a struggle that exist even today. Wilkinson points out; the crisis of masculinity is the crisis of fatherhood. “Gregor stood still in fright. Further flight was useless, for his father had decided to bombard him” (Kafka 51). Gregor’s father shows hostility towards Gregor because he tries to get rid of him by stoning him with apples. Despite Gregor’s help, the father has no sympathy for Gregor after Gregor undergoes his metamorphosis. Gregor’s dad is only interested about the family’s finances. Kafka wrote his narrative from a biographical perspective as Kafka himself underwent constant pressure by his father to take over the family business. Kafka's father viewed him as a failure and disapproved of his writing because he wanted Franz to become a business man like him. UNICEF cites absentee fathers as the main driver behind the biggest social issues of our