ALIENATION AND ABSURDITY IN FRANZ KAFKA’S THE METAMORPHOSIS: AN EXISTENTIALIST STUDY
Keywords:
Existentialism, one of the major intellectual movements of the 20th century, confronts the fundamental problem of existence: how individuals can find meaning in a world that appears indifferent to their presence.Abstract
This article examines the themes of alienation and absurdity, which are basic terms of philosophical trend-existentialism, in Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis. Through the bizarre and hidden transformation of Gregor Samsa into an insect, Kafka offers a powerful metaphor for the isolation and absurdity that is the indication of the human condition. Drawing on the existentialist ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Friedrich Nietzsche, this study explores how Gregor’s experiences highlight the unavoidability of alienation and the tension between individual freedom and social expectation. Kafka’s narrative encapsulates the absurdity of existence, suggesting that even in a seemingly meaningless world, human beings must cope with their isolation and strive to create meaning.
References
• Camus, A. (1942). The Myth of Sisyphus (J. O’Brien, Trans.). Gallimard.
• Kafka, F. (1915). The Metamorphosis (D. Wyllie, Trans.). Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5200
• Nietzsche, F. (1887). On the Genealogy of Morals (W. Kaufmann & R. J. Hollingdale, Trans.). Random House.
• Sartre, J.-P. (1943). Being and Nothingness (H. E. Barnes, Trans.). Philosophical Library.
• Sartre, J.-P. (1944). No Exit and Three Other Plays (S. Gilbert, Trans.). Vintage International.
