Comparing Metamorphosis And The Scream

Alienation is a big theme when it comes down the the modern period of art and classical works of literature. During this time period many works of art showed emphasis on isolation and emotional disassociation from society, friends, and even family. Two specific examples of these types of masterpieces are Edvard Munch’s, The Scream, and Franz Kafka’s novella, Metamorphosis. Both of these pieces of art reveal the theme of alienation in a comparable light; furthermore, they outline the instances that lead to isolation from oneself and the world. Art has always been an outlet for emotions providing many with a chance to exhibit humanity in a raw, yet sophisticated way. While it might be in ill taste to outwardly show anger, depression, and insanity,
Society has a way of sucking the life out of people, and in the end people are left with nothing else to give back to society. In Kafka's novella, Gregor Samsa, the protagonist, is turned into what is believed to be a cockroach. In his life as a vermin, Gregor becomes ostracized by both society and his own family; moreover, people beat him , ignore him, are embarrassed of him, and fear him because he is no longer human. Although still mentally who he used to be, his family believes he lacks the ability to exhibit feelings and desires. From Kafka’s novella, we could gather that economic struggles are the root of Gregor’s detachment from his family. From the beginning it is evident that Gregor is the breadwinner of the family, but his transformation into a cockroach is what ultimately isolates him from his old life. His appearance is so ghastly to his family that he remains caged in his room for the remainder of his life until he withers away representing the life being sucked out of
In fact, we can see Gregor’s responsibility to his relatives because it is stated, “as he sat there motionless staring into the darkness he felt great pride in the fact that he had been able to provide such a life for his parents and sister in such a fine flat. But what if all the quiet, the comfort, the contentment were now to end in horror” (Kafka 24). This is significant because it shows how much Gregor is willing to do to keep his kin happy. Although it should not be his responsibility to take care of his family, he places them above everyone else; however, his family does not give him the same courtesy. Gregor’s family are takers because when they needed money they gleefully took it, but when he becomes undesirable to society they abandon him. They do everything for their own benefit and have no care for Gregor’s desires and wants. We see this lack of sympathy through the food they feed him with the narrator stating, “Milk like this was normally his favourite drink, and his sister had certainly left it there for him because of that... but he turned, almost against his own will, away from the dish and crawled back into the centre of the room” (Kafka 23). Gregor is still being given human food; however, his family does not notice he is not eating. Clearly they ignore his needs, and instead of changing their care routine, they