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Metamorphosis And The Woman In The Dunes Essay

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Metamorphosis And The Woman In The Dunes Essay
How do the writers Franz Kafka in ‘Metamorphosis’ and Kobo Abe in ‘The Woman in the Dunes’, use the setting and symbols to portray a movement from a point of imprisonment to acceptance or realization.

In both novels, the main characters reach a sense of realization or achieve enlightenment in distinctive ways. The comparison of the authors’ use of setting and symbols in both the novels ‘Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka and ‘Woman in the Dunes’ by Abe Kobo portrays a movement from a point of imprisonment to a sense of acceptance.

In the beginning of the novel, both authors Kafka and Kobo introduced the theme of imprisonment by using the setting Kafka highlights the environment in Gregor’s home with his family duties imprisoning him. The description of Gregor’s room show his imprisonment and the deterioration of his character.

“His room, a proper room for a human being, only somewhat too small, lay quietly between the four well-known walls”.

The four familiar walls represent a prison, which enhances his rapid deterioration. Gregor had no intention of leaving the confinements of his room representing his personal voluntary imprisonment, unlike Jumpei, who was forced into imprisonment.
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For instance, Gregor’s deterioration is a recurring aspect of his character throughout the novel without attaining a sense of enlightenment, whereas with Jumpei, it is temporary while he is without water (enlightenment). Gregor’s literal starvation commences throughout the novel but is linked to his realization that the more neglected he was, the more he realized his families lack of concern for him. Gregor eventually escapes the setting in death, however, Jumpei has a choice to leave the setting but chooses to embrace his enlightenment. Gregor’s freedom is his death, whereas Jumpei’s enlightenment was in leaving his meaningless city life to embrace his

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