The Role of Women in the Metamorphosis and the Stranger

| World Literature Essay | Role of Women in The Stranger and Metamorphosis | | Maria Fernanda Contreras | 6/17/2010 | | â€Å"The woman kept on crying† (10) – this ability to experience and express emotions is shown as something both the protagonists in both novels - The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka and The Stranger by Albert Camus – lack. Women are usually portrayed as the element of society who are more likely to show this ability which connects them to the world surrounding them and keeps them (and men) from being â€Å"strangers† to society. The protagonists have especial difficulties relating to women in a profound level because of their lacking this ability. Their relationship with women symbolizes their relationship with†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"For the first time in a long time I thought about Maman. I felt as if I understood why at the end of her life she had taken a â€Å"fiance†, why she had played at beggining again† (122) Finding himself in a similar situation as her, he finds a way to comprehend her actions. This final unders tanding of her mother still implies his inability to relate to women, since his mother, the only woman he managed to relate to, was dead by the time he managed to relate to her, indicating he might not truly understand her since he no longer remembers her that well. Similar to Mersault’s relationship with his mother, Gregor’s relationship with â€Å"the lady dibe yo up in a fur hat and a fur boa..† (1) increases his inability to connect to society. The woman in the poster cannot reflect any emotions, thus it requires no effort to â€Å"understand† her and cope with her, just like with Mersault’s dead mother. Nevertheless, the poster is one of the few things in the room that keeps Gregor human. Thus, after there is no chance of establishing a proper connection, an â€Å"imaginary† connection is the only option he has. Ironically, this option was taken away by his sister, who does not understand his disconection from women and his immaginary relationship with a poster. Thus, dehumanizing him and precipitating his death. Relating women with whom he is not close, Mersault usually finds their emotional displays annoying and unreasonable. Their emotional state is incomprehensible forShow MoreRelatedThe Meta Metamorphosis : A Depth Look Into The Metamorphosis Of Grete1073 Words   |  5 PagesFebruary 28th, 2012 Word Count: 1,416 The Meta-Metamorphosis: An In-depth Look into the Metamorphosis of Grete In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, one can find two forms of metamorphoses. One, being the most apparent, is Gregor’s physical transformation from a man to an insect, and secondly one may find a subtext of a form of transformation of Grete. 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