The Language of Metahphysics in L'Etranger and Der Process
The Language of Metaphysics in Der Proceß and l’Etranger
Before their premature deaths, Franz Kafka and Albert Camus both wrote three novels, each conveying the authors’ views or philosophical ideas, whilst remaining true works of art. Often too much emphasis is put on the philosophies of the authors’, to the point where it detracts from the literary merits of the texts. These two novels in particular are hailed for portraying central characters with economy and skill; which in turn allows the reader to fully experience the mental transformations of the characters as they travel unknowingly between reality and dream. It is through the techniques used to convey these journeys that the writers display so much of their flair; in particular the narrative used in the texts, the authors’ dealing with the concept of time, and the vocabulary used is also of central importance. Both texts’ main characters are young men experiencing life through sensory pleasures, and both young men are condemned; one for an act of law breaking, and the other for a more obscure, moral wrong. Both characters are judged by society and the law, and both ultimately are executed. The novels also share the guise of being works on society and judgement, whereas they each have deeper meanings linked through metaphor to the surface layer of action. In their respective years of publication (Der Proceß – 1925 and l’Etranger – 1942) the novels were immediately acclaimed for having original ideas and being masterfully written in both form and language.
When looking at Der Proceß it is easy to be drawn towards the judgement of Joseph K. by a complex bureaucracy – the sensually driven, hedonistic main character – whereas if the German title is interpreted properly (instead of the English version “The Trial”) it can be seen that judgement is not the central concern of the novel. It is not surprising that the route of Proceß is synonymous with our word process, and if the word is looked at in
Before their premature deaths, Franz Kafka and Albert Camus both wrote three novels, each conveying the authors’ views or philosophical ideas, whilst remaining true works of art. Often too much emphasis is put on the philosophies of the authors’, to the point where it detracts from the literary merits of the texts. These two novels in particular are hailed for portraying central characters with economy and skill; which in turn allows the reader to fully experience the mental transformations of the characters as they travel unknowingly between reality and dream. It is through the techniques used to convey these journeys that the writers display so much of their flair; in particular the narrative used in the texts, the authors’ dealing with the concept of time, and the vocabulary used is also of central importance. Both texts’ main characters are young men experiencing life through sensory pleasures, and both young men are condemned; one for an act of law breaking, and the other for a more obscure, moral wrong. Both characters are judged by society and the law, and both ultimately are executed. The novels also share the guise of being works on society and judgement, whereas they each have deeper meanings linked through metaphor to the surface layer of action. In their respective years of publication (Der Proceß – 1925 and l’Etranger – 1942) the novels were immediately acclaimed for having original ideas and being masterfully written in both form and language.
When looking at Der Proceß it is easy to be drawn towards the judgement of Joseph K. by a complex bureaucracy – the sensually driven, hedonistic main character – whereas if the German title is interpreted properly (instead of the English version “The Trial”) it can be seen that judgement is not the central concern of the novel. It is not surprising that the route of Proceß is synonymous with our word process, and if the word is looked at in