The Metamorphosis Isolation Essay - 1491 Words

Franz Kafka’s feelings of isolation throughout his life caused him to portray characters in his writing as outcasts as a result. The basis of Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis is the effects of isolation on man and it’s impact on life. The use of modernism in Kafka’s writing was a reflection of the characteristic shift from the beauty and innocence of romanticism to the cold harsh reality of life after World War I. Kafka’s lifelong alienation intersects with his work where he draws on his personal experiences to create a protagonist that draws on Kafka’s life. At the opening of the twentieth century, World War I shifted the previously progressive mentality of society as a result of the newfound levels of human potential of destruction.†¦show more content†¦Romantic innocence was replaced by realistic and knowledgeable concepts concerning the true reality of existence. The historical role of World War I leading up to modernism was that the world had never experienced the horrors of modern warfare, so society and literature as a result consciously transformed from the innocence of previous generations to the grotesque descriptions of reality as it had become. The basis of modernism writing is that the world is what we say it is. Modernist writers used the relativity of reality to describe personal experiences as they viewed them. Gothic concepts now were written by describing the world as grotesque. Modernism writers used their platform to focus on the increasing alienation of the individual and the significance of individualism (Josh Rahn, â€Å"Modernism†). The concept of stream of consciousness was brought in by the focus on internal states of mind of writers of this time period. Modernism brought in realistic ideas and tied them to a fragmented reality to spread the ideas of individual interpretation of life. These writing techniques are used by Franz Kafka in his novel The Metamorphosis that was written during the age of modernism. In his work, Kafka directs his writing towards the concept of the individual in society and the human mind. Kafka’s use of individualism is displayed byShow MoreRelatedMetamorphosis Kafka Iso lation Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesState of Isolation Societal isolation. It’s a condition that can affect anyone, regardless of their wealth or social class. It can affect the rich, the poor, the old, the young, anyone really. It is a timeless problem that has plagued society since the beginning. Franz Kafka’s book, The Metamorphosis, helps us answer the question of the causes and effects of societal isolation, and how societal isolation can affect the individual. 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This oppression is caused by society’s obsession with what it believes to be normal and how society’s beliefs drive it to conform those who don’t fit its normal image. The two authors use their characters to symbolize the different views and judgments of society. And based on these judgments, the authors use two different types