Franz Kafka (1883-1924). He was a Czech-German writer born in Prague on July 3, 1883, to a middleclass Jewish family. His childhood was marked by illness including tuberculosis which troubled him throughout his life. After completing his studies in 1906, Kafka began working for an insurance company, a job that he did not want to do but only did to earn enough money. These experiences would go onto influence his writings later in his life, particularly visible in the novels, The Trial, and The Castle. It wasn’t until 1912 when he published The Metamorphosis that he gained significant recognition as a writer. He gained immediate success and was slowly being recognized as one of the most innovative writers of his time.