How much of our identity is defined by others?”

Kafka and the experience of being bicultural or biracial in our social context

The matter of personal identity and how it is defined by others is central to philosophical, psychological and literary thinking. Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis and the experience of being bicultural or biracial in the social context offer two emblematic perspectives on how our identity is also formed, transformed and defined through the gaze of others.

Kafka's Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is one of those pieces that leaves you thinking long after you finish it. It is not just the story of a man who wakes up transformed into an insect, but a profound philosophical reflection on alienation, identity and the absurdity of human existence.

In the novella, in fact, Gregor Samsa wakes up transformed into a giant insect, an event that places him in a condition of complete alienation. His identity, which was initially defined by his role as worker and economic pillar of the family, is immediately challenged by his new appearance. A fundamental theme emerges here: how others perceive us can radically transform our sense of self.

Gregor's family, initially concerned about him, soon begins to reject him, seeing him as a burden and a monster. Gregor loses his value in the eyes of his family the moment he can no longer work or meet social expectations. Gregor, who nevertheless retains a human consciousness, internalizes this rejection, coming to see himself as worthless and unworthy of affection. Kafka thus shows how personal identity is never just an individual fact, but depends to a large extent on external recognition. When others deny this recognition, identity itself is shattered. Physical transformation reflects a deeper truth: we are vulnerable and in danger of losing our place in the world when we stop playing the roles they impose on us.

From an existentialist perspective, Gregor Samsa's transformation can be seen as a metaphor for the feeling of being trapped in a life we no longer recognize as our own.

How often do we feel like strangers in our own skin, disconnected from who we are, spectators of our own lives or what others expect of us? Gregor becoming an insect represents this extreme feeling of dehumanization, of becoming something that no longer fits into the world, not even one's own family.

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Being bicultural and biracial in the social context

Those who grow up with a bicultural or biracial identity experience a similar dynamic, but in a different way: identity is constructed in the intersection of multiple cultural and racial affiliations, often subject to the judgment of others.

In contexts where the idea of monolithic identity prevails, being biracial or bicultural can lead to a sense of alienation, because the person is perceived as “not enough” of one culture or the other. In many cases, the gaze of others attaches labels that simplify or fragment the person's identity:

·??????? You are “too white” to be black or “too black” to be white.

·??????? They ask you “where are you really from?” signaling conditional inclusion.

This external gaze not only influences how others treat the individual, but also how the individual perceives himself or herself. The need to reconcile these identities can lead to a rich experience of cultural synthesis, but also to inner conflict and the risk of feeling “from nowhere.”

Like Gregor, they experience a kind of the isolation of the individual in a new form, sometimes unable to communicate, to be understood or accepted. It is an isolation not only physical, but also existential. A “hell of others” that resonates as Gregor is rejected and feared, and although he remains the same inside, his appearance condemns him to loneliness and oblivion.

Intersections between Kafka and the social context.

Both Gregor Samsa and those living a biracial or bicultural experience share a dynamic: identity is in part a reflection of others' gaze, but when this gaze becomes distorted, judgmental or exclusive, it can cause alienation.

In Gregor's case, the alienation is total: his look condemns him to an existence without any more meaningful human relationships.

For biracial or bicultural people, on the other hand, the process can be more ambiguous, oscillating between exclusion and partial acceptance. Their identity evolves in a continuous dialogue between their own experience and the expectations of others.

Our identity is inevitably influenced by others, but this influence should not be seen only in a negative way. We live a warning about the fragility of identity and the disconnection between the human being and his or her environment in this world full of norms, expectations and judgments; the real tragedy is losing the connection with our own humanity, and in the process, being forgotten or discarded by those who should understand us.

Although the outside gaze can cause alienation, it can offer opportunities for reflection, growth and the creation of new, more complex identities. Kafka reminds us of the danger of total rejection, while the bicultural and biracial experience suggests that, despite the difficulties, it is possible to find a synthesis that disavows no part of the self.

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