intro

Perhaps it's because the story is a dream. Some look to Kafka's biographical and historical context to argue that the story, published in 1912, expresses anti-semitic views. Gregor's transformation into a disgusting parasite is often viewed as an expression of Kafka's feelings of isolation and inferiority. The story is also read as a prescient allegory for genocide, in particular the Holocaust. The readings can thus relate to the works of Freud and Darwin.