REPRESSION AND NEUROSIS OF UNPROCESSED GRIEF: A PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY INTO SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ISOLATION IN KAFKA’S THE METAMORPHOSIS AND THE TRIAL

Abstract

Grief is a complex psychological experience, which is often shaped and constrained by cultural norms and societal expectations. Individuals facing loss or existential crisis are often met with limited social acceptance for their grief which causes emotional repression and contributes to psychological distress. While grief has been well studied as part of the psychological realm, its literary expression, especially in the context of repression and neurosis, has been comparatively understudied. Therefore, using the five stages of grief by Kuber-Ross as a foundation of a wider psychoanalytic framework, the current study examines the journey of the protagonists in The Metamorphosis and The Trial from unprocessed grief toward socio-psychological isolation.

The findings reveal that Kafka's work offer insightful knowledge of the devastating effects of unprocessed grief, as the emotional response of repression starts neurotic patterns that further create isolation. In both texts grief first manifests itself as emotional repression, which slowly evolves into neurotic symptoms such as anxiety, obsessive thinking, guilt, and distorted perception. Gregor Samsa and Josef K. repress their emotional suffering to appear outwardly normal; nevertheless, this represses their psychological stability and sense of self. As the neurosis gets stronger and grief remains unanswered, this detachment of both protagonists from others and from themselves increases. Ultimately, the study shows that Kafka depicts repression and neurosis as central processes through which unprocessed grief results in an intense socio-psychological isolation and a breakdown of personal identity.