The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines existentialism, in part, as “a philosophical theory that…emphasizes the existence of the individual person…determining one's development through acts of existence Willing." Existentialist work emphasizes the importance of the individual often denying “the existence of objective values.” Existentialism focuses on choice, as well as the idea that people must exist before we can have values. Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis uses Gregor Samsa's struggle against existentialist principles, as well as the consequences surrounding Gregor's actions against existentialist principles to exhibit a primarily existentialist theme. Say no to plagiarism a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned" Get an original essay Jean-Paul Sartre was the pioneering philosopher of the existentialist movement who claimed that "existence preceded essence" and rejected the ideas of most philosophers. elders according to whom human beings had a specific nature. Human essence refers to "...ideas that [are] eternal and immutable", such as those a person might obtain by following a religion. Aristotle believed that the essence of humanity was reason, and that reason was what separated humans from animals. Sartre argued that human beings have no predisposition towards any kind of being and that existence in a purely physical way comes first in human priorities. In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized that human beings have a set of need-based priorities; This theory is commonly called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This hierarchy described physiological needs, such as those for food, water, and basic bodily functions, as the most important. The theory also states that needs higher up in the hierarchy, such as friendships and family relationships, cannot be met until the levels of the hierarchy below these needs are met (Noltemeyer, 1). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is existentialist in nature because human beings must satisfy physical needs to exist, before they can have any kind of philosophy, such as a religion or an essence. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor violates Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs after his transformation, thus violating existentialist principles. the concept of “existence before essence” of existentialism. Faced with his transformation, Gregor immediately attempts to return to work, despite having been transformed into a “monstrous parasite” (Kafka, 1). Instead of trusting his nature and ensuring that his needs as a living being, which are now different from the needs Gregor had before his transformation, are met; Gregor tries to go to work out of obligation to meet the needs of his family member. Gregor is violating Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs and attempting to satisfy the needs for love and belonging that are satisfied when he supports his family before satisfying his own physiological needs. These actions go directly against the nature of existentialism and thus cause Gregor physical harm and emotional distress (18, 19). Due to the consequences of violating the nature of existentialism, The Metamorphosis can be classified as existentialist because when Gregor's actions violate the principles of existentialism, the consequences are negative. Existentialism focuses on choice as one of the defining aspects of human existence. “Freedom of choice” was at the heart of human existence and was what made people different from other animals. Only human beings are responsible for their choices, as well as their consequencesbehave. Sartre believed that almost all choices have more than one option and always have more than one outcome in a situation. He further argued that man's choices always lead to negativity because hindsight gives humans the ability to see the possible outcomes of choices they did not make. Sartre believed that to blame an external source for a negative consequence of one's actions, or to claim that the choice made was the only choice available, is to act in "bad faith" and is "a form of self-deception and inauthenticity". that man is naturally anxious about these choices and that each choice made was a reflection of humanity as a whole (Fiero, 70). The existentialist principles of choice and “existence before essence” coincide with each other as the choices made by humans begin to give way to essences that humans do not intrinsically possess. These choices not only give way to a person's essence, but define what essence they possess. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor attempts to violate the coupling of these existentialist principles and have an "essence" before choosing to act one way or another. Gregor's situation before his transformation in The Metamorphosis is an example of existentialism because Gregor's choice to instead support his family to do what they want comes with negative consequences that he can only see after making his choice. Gregor's family does not work and relies solely on him to pay the family debt (Kafka, 4). Gregor's other family members have the potential to work, but no one does and Gregor chooses to work to support his family members (Cite). Only the obligation to satisfy the needs of his family, and therefore his interpersonal needs, forces Gregor to work. While it can be argued that Gregor supports his family because he has to, Gregor actually supports his family because he chooses to. This choice leads to Gregor's pain. Gregor not only suffers physically from the abuse he suffered from his family, but his physiology suffers as well. Gregor stops coming out of his room, doesn't eat, and spends his days in agony (43). The Metamorphosis is existentialist because Gregor's choice to support his family ultimately leads to negative consequences, and while a traditional way of thinking would call Gregor's support of his family something he must do, it is actually something he chooses to do, thus suffering from the result. When Gregor goes against another existentialist principle, the consequences are negative. Existentialism gives the greatest power to the individual and The Metamorphosis is an existentialist work because it shows how the lack of individualism leads to death. Gregor loses his individuality after his transformation. He is no longer able to do the things he loves to do or support his family. At the beginning of the story Gregor has framed a photo of an advertisement with a beautiful girl in a homemade frame, which he likes to do (1). Gregor doesn't get to do much, but his hobby of cutting wood is something he enjoys. Gregor's only goal in life is to earn enough money to support his family and pay off his debts (4). This constraint makes Gregor an individual and gives meaning to his life. When Gregor is unable to work or do any of the activities he could do before his transformation, he loses what makes him a person. After discovering Gregor's body, the waitress at Samsa exclaims “Come and take a look! It's cracked; lies there dead as a nail” (52). He does not refer to Gregor as “he,” but rather as “it,” completely robbing Gregor of his humanity. Gregor dies due to the loss of his individuality. He is no longer a human being in the sense.