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Comparisson Of "The Plague" And "The Metamorp

Uploaded by srheric on Apr 23, 2007

Comparisson Of "The Plague" And "The Metamorphosis"

It has been said that “Man revolts against his condition first by understanding it and then, in the face of his cosmic meaninglessness creating his own human meaning.” To me, this means that a person has no meaning until he understands he has no meaning and only when this understanding occurs is when he creates his own personal meaning. Two books, which support my point of view, are The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Plague by Albert Camus. These two stories use setting, plot structure and symbolism to express their author’s ideas.

The Metamorphosis is one of the earliest pieces of literature to express an existential point of view. First of all, the room that Gregor Samsa lives in is isolated from the rest of the world. This isolation allows him to understand the meaning of being a bug. This is an example of a story that begins at its end. There is no way out for Gregor Samsa at the beginning, likewise there is no way out for him at the end. He is a bug and has to understand that. Finally, Kafka uses the insect as a symbol for human life. The existential view is that human life is meaningless. In our world the bug is looked upon as meaningless. Once he came to the realization that it would be better if he died, he defined himself. This definition was that of a caring individual who sacrificed his life for the happiness of his family.

Albert Camus, uses the same three literary devices, to express his existential opinion in The Plague. Camus, chooses to set the story in Oran, Algeria. The reason for this country and city is because it is obscure and alienated. Again, like in The Metamorphosis, the isolation helps the lead character Dr. Bernard Rieux, understand the meaning of life, especially life surrounded by the plague. Additionally, Camus divides the novel into five parts. The first and final portion show life before and after the plague. Parts two and four display the suffering of the individual characters and the society in Oran as a whole. Part three portrays the plague at its peak. This plot structure illustrates the rise and decline of the plague as well as the gain...

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Uploaded by:   srheric

Date:   04/23/2007

Category:   Literature

Length:   3 pages (570 words)

Views:   5798

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