Unit 4 ‒ Reflections in Literary Studies (6ET04)
English Literature Coursework GCE A Level (June 2015) Name: Navoditte Das
Candidate Number: 8014
Abstract:
“Whatever identity we have is either imposed from outside or is sustained by our ongoing, self-defining existential project, our fundamental ‘Choice’”
Explore the themes of identity and society in light of this statement in the texts “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, “The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “A Hunger Artist” by Franz Kafka.
Total Word Count: 2911

Written in 1912, and published in 1915, Franz Kafka’s novella “Metamorphosis” ad- heres well to the characteristic tenets of early 20th century modernist literature, such as the first person “stream of consciousness” narrative and a focus on introspection and self-consciousness. Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” published in 1942, is also a phil- osophical modernist novel with roots in existentialist and absurdist ideologies, written in the unreliable first person narrative. They both share, along with Kafka’s short story “A Hunger Artist”, a key component, that being the portrayal of the ostracised individ- ual, struggling to establish an identity that adheres to the rules of society. It is interest- ing to examine how both Kafka and Camus portray themes of isolation and existential- ism that tie in with both the setting of the play as well as drawing from their own life experiences.
There exists a strong link between appearance and identity in Kafka’s “Metamorpho- sis” (originally titled “Die Verwandlung”) that alienates the protagonist Gregor Samsa from his family. His physical transformation into a “monstrous verminous bug” causes Gregor to detest his “new” identity – not that he was comfortable with his earlier one to begin with, which was trapped in the middle-class struggle of the early 20th century. His grotesque new insect appearance initially leaves Gregor unaffected but when his family sees him, his mother faints and his father locks Gregor in his room, Gregor real- ises that his appearance is the cause of his isolation. It is interesting to notice, howev- er, that Gregor still isn’t outraged at his transformation. Trapped behind the symbolic door, he is still concerned and interested in his family’s well being. Since he was the source of money and sustenance for his family after his father’s business collapsed, he is forced to, by virtue of his transition, ditch his old identity and assume a new one, as a passive observer. Hartmut Binder 1interprets this damaged human identity of Greg- or’s as a burden to his family, who no longer acknowledge him. But what makes Greg- or unique is that he is conscious of how society will view him, but doesn’t worry about his image in their eyes but instead is more preoccupied with sparing them discomfort. Gregor almost chooses to alienate himself in certain parts of the novel; hiding under a couch and covering himself with sheets in order to avoid causing distress to others, even though he, in his own words, “could not derive any pleasure from isolating him- self so completely”.
This alienation however, has a deep fundamental connection to the life and times of Kafka himself. For example, there exists a clear parallel between Father in the novel and Kafka’s overbearing father, Hermann Kafka. Hermann is known to have been somewhat of a tyrant, with a very forceful personality – similar to Mr. Samsa in lines like “his father finally said a resounding “No,” and nothing more would be spoken about it.” And “came on, hissing like a wild man”. The violent abuse that Kafka faced from his father as a child translates into Mr. Samsa’s belligerent behaviour; such as when he lodges an apple in Gregor’s back. The rotting of the apple as time went on could be a symbol of how Kafka’s fathers’ physical and verbal abuse heightened Kaf- ka’s feelings of seclusion and desolation. Kafka writes about his emotional discomfort living with his family in his diary; for example “April 27. Incapable of living with peo- ple, of speaking. Complete immersion in myself, thinking of myself. Apathetic, witless, fearful. I have nothing to say to anyone - never.” This incident with the attack on Gregor in the novel also marks the beginning of Gregor’s feelings of abandonment, loss of appetite and desolation.
1 Binder, Hartmut. The Metamorphosis: The Long Journey into Print. New York:

Examining the texts from a socio-cultural point of view, since Kafka was a German speaking Jew living in the Christian and Czech speaking city of Prague in the Austro- Hungarian Empire, he had to face violent anti-Semitism for much of his childhood. In the words of Cynthia Ozick; “The Jewish anxieties of Prague press on, invisibly, sub- liminally; their fate is metamorphosis.” 2Thus all things considered, Kafka himself faced a significant amount of isolation from his family, his peers and society. This theme re- sounds strongly with Samsa’s fate in the novel.
However, while Gregor’s identity has its foundations in hiding from public view, the protagonist in Kafka’s “The Hunger Artist” (originally titled “Ein Hungerkünstler”), a short story first published in the periodical “Die neue Rundschau” in 1922, has his identity defined by his audience. In the eyes of the hunger artist, starvation is the greatest art form that only he is capable of carrying out, trapped in a cage as a specta- cle for onlookers. His hunger, driven by the hope of spiritual salvation is the sole rea- son for his existence. But once he finds himself “abandoned by the pleasure seeking public that now flocked to different displays” he loses his will to live. This is almost ironic considering how separated the hunger artist is from the spectators; “he was therefore bound to be the sole completely satisfied spectator of his own fast.” The leit- motif of the cage is most certainly a symbol of his isolation from society, separating his higher “art” from the onlookers. Yet, this human gaze validates the hunger artists’ ex- istence, the undivided attention of his viewers the only reason to live and perform. The cage is both a physical entity, which separates him from this society of well-fed people, and also a mental barricade that prevents the artist from feeling included as a part of society.
Similarly, the concept of the human gaze is also prevalent in Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”, once his father locks Gregor inside his room, his only window to the outside world, to the life he once had is through the keyhole of the door. So not only does the closed door symbolise a sense of partition from acceptance, but the act of peering through the keyhole conveys a sense of passive observance, highlighting his insignificance. Walter Kauffman in his critical piece “Existentialism from Dostoyevsky and Sartre”3 states that Gregor Samsa’s gaze here is reminiscent of the unnamed narrator in Dostyevsky’s “Notes from Underground” when he peeps sneakily from the underground like a sewer rat, a vermin similar to Samsa’s insect exterior, stating that “Reading how the under- ground man "could not even become an insect," we think of Kafka's Metamorphosis.”
A common element in Camus’ “The Stranger” and Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” is the emo- tionally distanced approach to life, and actions. In the beginning of “The Stranger” Mersault’s character is absolutely apathetic to everything in life. All his actions are passive and dispassionate. Mersault’s initial character is largely defined by detach- ment, such as when he was emotionally unaffected by his mother’s funeral as seen in lines like “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.” Critic Kevin Meboe states, “Just as an animal sticks to instincts, Meursault has a hard time feeling emotions such as remorse or compassion.”4 and
2 Ozick, Cynthia. "The Impossibility of Being Kafka." Editorial. New Yorker 11 Jan. 1999: 80. Print.
3 Kaufmann, Walter Arnold. Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre. New York: Meridian, 1956. Print.
4 Meboe, Kevin. "Albert Camus Critical Interpretation Homepage." Albert Camus Critical Interpretation Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2015

much to the horror of society this eventually lead to his incarceration. It’s interesting to notice the ambiguity in Mersault’s words that reflect his distant emotions; the phrase “That doesn’t mean anything” could both refer to the vagueness in the time period re- ferred to but more likely to the fact that his mother’s death is of no importance to him. The absurdity of his emotional indifference to serious events causes Meursault to reflect on the meaninglessness of a person's life in society. However, coupled with instances in the text where he is far more occupied with seemingly trivial details, such as the scabs on the dog, a possible new interpretation is uncovered. Perhaps rather than simply highlighting Mersault’s heartlessness as his defining characteristic, Camus in- tended to depict how Mersault intends to always preserve his emotional isolation. This provides a suitable explanation for how Mersault evades societies rules and criticisms unscathed but once his own identity catches up to him when he is put on death row, the futility of preserving emotional isolation rather than expressing emotions is re- vealed to Mersault. Mersault’s impending death causes him to take what Camus himself referred to in his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus” as the philosophical “leap of faith”, try- ing to escape the burdens of existence.
However, what is different about Gregor compared to Mersault is that Mersault is de- tached from both himself and society, whereas Gregor in fact is concerned about the well being of his family, as he was the earlier breadwinner and they now had no means for supporting themselves. He himself is largely unaffected by his grotesque transformation whereas his mother faints and is avoided by the rest of his family as well as the Anna and the second maid, who want nothing to do with his metamor- phosed state. Interestingly enough “samsja” means "being alone" in Czech.
An interesting argument to consider in terms of identity is how Mersault’s identity seems to be evolving but Gregor’s is devolving. For example, Mersault begins as an empty slate, and it is up to the reader to shape his or her own opinions on his identity. In the denouement of the novel, particularly during his outbreak, an additional depth to Mersault’s character is introduced. For example, in the lines “As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again” the reader is made aware of Mersault’s capability of existing and of ‘Being’ that is reminiscent of the Heideggerian “Dasein”. Camus shows that Mersault’ individual identity has come into existence due to the actions of society symbolised in the trial – which raises the question of whether his identity is truly a product of his individuality. The reader questions whether it was Camus’ intention to create an absurdist identity for Mersault or rather highlight the fact that Mersault could not possess an objectively unique identity by virtue his existence, which is why he had to die.
Contrastingly, Gregor begins as someone who had a job, a life and albeit limited, inter- actions with society. In The Metamorphosis there are many signs of slow deterioration for Gregor; both physical and emotional. For example his deteriorating eyesight as seen in the lines “Actually from day to day he perceived things with less and less clari- ty” could be interpreted as a reference to his dwindling connection with humanity, the human gift of sight being reduced to a blurry distorted vision of an insect. Further- more, as the novel progresses and his metamorphosis occurs, he is shunned and iso- lated from everyone, losing his sense of identity. The fact his family was not even aware that he had passed away since it was the third maid that discovered his corpse raises the question of whether it was his role as a breadwinner that defined his identity in relation to his family which is why once he could no longer work, he became irrele-

vant to his family. The question of how identity is subject to society and interactions is important when analysing these two texts.
In “Metamorphosis” Gregor’s identity before his transformation is solely defined by his role as a provider for the family. The Samsas, who are a middle class family, are left without any means of income once Gregor is unable to work. Kafka extends Gregor’s death so that it is made evident to the reader how, once Gregor is unable to work he becomes a mere inconvenience to his family, who feel hopeless – much like Gregor did during his working days. Interestingly however, once Gregor dies, the Samsas find a new zeal in their lives and are determined to have a fresh start now that a huge burden has been lifted off them. Critics such as Bluma Goldstein argue that “Gregor, by sup- porting his family had purchased isolation and distance for himself... he freed himself from the demands of genuine relatedness and social responsibility5. However, it is equally valid to argue that Gregor’s transformations represented the effects of the re- lentless middle class struggle, which led to his family abandoning and disowning him, as exemplified in the lines “It must be gotten rid of” and “This animal plagues us”. This opens up possibilities for the interpretation that perhaps it wasn’t Gregor who was a monstrous verminous bug after all, but instead the rest of his family are the ones who are truly inhuman. In the words of Vladimir Nabokov6; “Gregor is a human being in an insect’s disguise; his family are insects disguised as people.”
However, while Gregor’s character is dependent on his social obligations, Mersault in “The Stranger” is a contrasting figure, in the sense that views his very own existence, and the significance of others in his life with a nauseating air of weary fatalism. For example, in “The investigators had learned that I had "shown insensitivity" the day of Maman’s funeral... He asked if I had felt any sadness that day. [...] I answered that I had pretty much lost the habit of analysing myself and that it was hard for me to tell him what he wanted to know. I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean any- thing. At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead”, Mersault’s almost cripplingly ice-cold honesty and detachment to his life and social interactions is made clearly visible to the reader. However there is a sense of naiveté in Mersault’s character, since he is himself unaware of his nonconformity, “He didn’t understand me, and he was sort of holding it against me. I felt the urge to reas- sure him that I was like everybody else, just like everybody else. But really there wasn’t much point, and I gave up the idea out of laziness.” This innate detachment from reality is the foundation for Mersault’s isolation from society. Nevertheless, un- derlying his seemingly blatant objectivity, Camus weaves an absurdist element into the novel; leading the reader to question the logic and ethics of the very life that Mersault strays away from; as can be seen in his objective view of his murder of the Arab – “On my way out, I was even going to shake his hand, but just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man.”
Use of specific words and phrases in Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” hints to subtle commen- tary on the type of relationships Gregor has with various characters, and how this af- fects his identity. For example, Kafka writes, “He was the bosses minion, without backbone or intelligence” during a train of thought of Gregor’s, indicating that Gregor was aware of his subservient role in society from the beginning. The fact that this came
5 Goldstein, Bluma. The Kafka Debate: New Perspectives for Our Time. Staten Island, NY: Gordian, 1977. Print.
6 Nabokov, Vladimir. “The Metamorphosis,” in Lectures on Literature. Ed. Fredson Bowers. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980.

up in a stream of consciousness narrative indicates that he is subconsciously aware of this, it is part of his identity. Furthermore, it is interesting to observe subtle changes in pronoun use when the Samsas refer to Gregor. In the second chapter of the novella, Mr. Samsa says “There he goes on again”, but in the third chapter he says “Get rid of it”. The change from a human to an object mimics the devolution of his existence.
An almost identical devolution of identity is seen in “A Hunger Artist”. During his slow decay, Kafka describes the hunger artist’s deteriorating physical state, “dimming eyes” and buried in the “dirty straw”. It’s important to note that his death is indicative of how his own art, which he lauded to no end and felt could not be properly understood by others, and which was his entire existence and identity, ended up being his hamar- tia. In the words of Oscar Wilde, “life imitates art more than art imitates life” which is both literally and figuratively presented in “A Hunger Artist” Critic Heinz Politzer makes notes of this “paradox of existence” stating that “in order to achieve fulfilment in his art the hunger artist must die”7. The panther, which replaces the Hunger Artist once he dies, is depicted as an antithesis to the existence of the hunger artist, rather than grotesque and timid the panther is a symbol boldness and power. Thought both are animalistic, the panther has a more regal and lively appeal to it, “and the joy of life streamed with such ardent passion from his throat that for the onlookers it was not easy to stand the shock of it”. This perhaps represents how fragile the hunger artists construction of his identity was and how overly dependent it was on the approval of an audience. Furthermore, while the hunger artist was mentally and physically trapped by the symbolic as well as real cage, the panther revels in it.
Having explored and analyses these texts, and their contextual factors one can con- clude that the modernist and postmodernist periods of literature for existentialist phi- losophers and authors such as Kafka and Camus brought about a focus on the dynamic the individual identity and the overbearing society. In the words of Thomas Flynn is his critical essay “Existentialism”, “Existentialism is a person-centred philosophy. Though not anti-science, its focus is on the human individual’s pursuit of identity and meaning amidst the social and economic pressures of mass society for superficiality and conformism.”8 which was certainly true in the case of these texts, which are per- fectly representative of the individualist struggle.
7 Politzer, Heinz. Parables and Paradoxes. New York: Schocken, 1958. Print.
8 Flynn, Thomas R. Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.
Total Word Count: 2911
Bibliography Primary Texts
• Kafka, Franz, Laura Nathan-Garner, Ian Johnston, and Cynthia Johnson. The Metamorphosis. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.
• Kafka, Franz, and Michael Hofmann. Metamorphosis and Other Stories. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.
• Camus, Albert, and Matthew Ward. The Stranger. New York: Vintage Interna- tional, 1989. Print.
Secondary Texts and Sources
• Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays. New York: Vintage, 1955. Print.
• Kafka, Franz, Max Brod, Joseph Kresh, Martin Greenberg, and Hannah Ar- endt. The Diaries of Franz Kafka, 1910-23. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972. Print.
• http://www.iep.utm.edu/camus/
• http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/camus.shtml
• http://www.kafka.org/