The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a story about Gregor Samsa, a man who dedicates everything to satisfying the needs of his family. Kafka's existentialist perspective on the meaning of life is illustrated through the use of Gregor Samsa's protagonist. Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding oneself and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility (existentialism). Gregor is unable to fulfill the existentialist vision of finding meaning in one's life; he acted according to what his family wanted. Kafka's belief that there is no meaning in life and that the individual must create his own meaning in life is completely lost on Gregor. Kafka uses the juxtaposition of mindsets of Gregor and his family members to express the importance of an individual meeting their own needs. Gregor's protagonist is supposed to resemble Franz Kafka. Out of a sense of duty to his parents, Kafka took jobs he didn't like. His relationship with his father remained strained throughout his life; His father's impact can be seen in much of Kafka's writings (Kafka's Birthday: A Letter from Franz Kafka to his Father). Gregor's relationship with his father is similar to Kafka's relationship with his father. For much of his life Kafka did not live to satisfy his own needs; Kafka lived according to his father's expectations. He was under enormous pressure to become a successful businessman like his father, but Kafka had a deep love of literature that went against his father's mentality; hence, the strained relationship between Kafka and his father (Kafka's Birthday: A Letter from Franz Kafka to his Father). Franz Kafka had two younger brothers, Georg and Heinrich; unfortunately they both died leaving Kafka as the only… paper medium… badly treated, he fills with anger at the unfortunate care he received” (Kafka 71). Gregor realizes that he can rely on no one but himself Everything one does in one's life should be aimed at achieving self-realization. An individual satisfying his or her own needs is essential for him or her to live a fulfilled and meaningful life. . AllAboutPhilosophy.org. Np, nd Web. 06 May 2014. "Franz Kafka - Biography." Franz Kafka, 1946. Print ."The Life of Kafka (1883-1924)." The Kafka Project. Np, nd Web. 07 May 2014. Triska, Zoë. "Kafka's Birthday: A Letter from Franz Kafka to His Father." TheHuffingtonPost.com, July 3, 2013. Web. May 8 2014.