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This article explores the idea that metamorphosis, a central motif in Franz Kafka’s work expressing his unique understanding of the modern human condition, acquires the emotional power of an Aristotelian tragedy – specifically because Kafka’s metamorphic changes are always curtailed and unfinished, and are never allowed to reach completion. Thus, a human transformed into an insect remains fundamentally human despite his horrific change; and similarly, an African monkey who learns to speak and perform as a human remains essentially simian.
The article further argues that Kafka’s manipulation of the metamorphic motif enhances its significance, making it more than just a psychological exploration or an existential fable à la Albert Camus: it serves as a unique artistic commentary on concrete historical and social phenomena, such as colonialism, the Westernization of European Jews, and the limitations of Zionism.
Dan Miron is a professor emeritus of Hebrew and Yiddish literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Columbia University in New York. He has been awarded the Bialik Prize for Jewish thought and the Israel Prize for Hebrew literature.