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Theme of Alienation in The  Stranger by Albert Camus and The Metamorphosis  by Franz Kafka  

by Akansha Jha

 

Alienation can be considered an estrangement from self, society and one’s own beliefs. It has its roots in both classical philosophy and Christian theology. As a more philosophical term, this idea became prominent in the nineteenth century, Hegel being the one credited for developing it further. Encapsulating a vaster stream of existentialism, alienation has been adopted as a major theme in literature on a global platform. Both Franz Kafka and Albert Camus are writers noticeable for integrating and eliciting it in their writings. In both the books, The Stranger by Albert Camus and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, alienation is a motif that propels the journey of the protagonists. While, Meursault (The Stranger) chooses to alienate himself because of his nihilistic approach to living and his inability to comprehend the importance of societal norms, Gregor (The Metamorphosis) is forced into a life of solitude and isolation by several external factors in the book, including his family (private space). Therefore, in both the books, alienation is a common thread that propels the journey of the protagonists. However, while Meursault chooses to alienate himself, alienation is imposed on Gregor.

 

Due to the absence of communication, both Gregor and Meursault are unable to express their innate feelings, and thus feel alienated. Plato considers the psyche of the human soul as being in a tripartite relation between reason, emotion and sense. He emphasizes on humans achieving psychological harmony or happiness through a rightly ordered soul that balances these parts in an appropriate manner. Meursault seems to lack the very emotions that constitute a rightly ordered soul; “ ‘Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours’ That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday” (Camus 1). Meursault’s inability to express his emotions is a more pronounced and evident cause for his alienation from the external premise and his internal thoughts. Evidently, Meursault does not express any grief over his mother’s demise nor does he communicate his sorrow with anyone. This complete absence of communication and detachment from the events that transpire lead to his alienation. Interestingly Meursault’s inner turmoil is manifested in the form of his external physical discomfort and hyper vigilance. However there is never a catharsis or culmination of any sort. Gregor too becomes a victim of this absence of communication because of the stifling and oppressive situation that he is in. Since, he is locked in a room, his thoughts are relegated to his own self; “When he heard his mother's words, Gregor realized that the monotony of family life, combined with the fact that not a soul had addressed a word directly to him, must have muddled his brains in the past few moths” (Kafka 32). This quote is an exemplification of the imposed isolation on Gregor that slowly begins to permeate into his psyche by forcing him to question his own beliefs and reinforcing the ambiguity of his existing reality. In fact Gregor’s alienation happened much before his physical metamorphosis, as his responsibility towards his family and his struggle with the shackles of day to day living had distanced him from his family, society and even his visceral feelings. He never really existed as an independent entity who was capable of making choices for his own life. Hence, The Metamorphosis can also be read as a book where Gregor is compelled to break free from societal norms, failing to convince the society of his actions.

 

According to Jean Paul Sartre, Alienation implies an intense separation from the objects of the world, second from the people around and third from the ideas of the world held by others. Hence alienation can be viewed as a dissociative state where dimensions of powerlessness and meaninglessness are antecedents of this concept. “Then I fired four times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace” (Camus 59). Clearly, Meursault is unfazed by the consequences his actions entail and is ambivalent to the responsibility that comes with his choice. As the story progresses, Meursault’s indifference and lack of even an iota of remorse establish him as a loathsome criminal in the eyes of the society. He is ostracized and termed a deviant. His indifference, however, is a prevalent constant. Similarly the constriction of Gregors’s world and the paradoxical liberation for his family are also factors that hint at a complete absence of any empathy for him. Hence, both the protagonists have to suffer this ostracization.