Presentation of alienation

A detailed Summary of Presentation of alienation

I have chosen to look at "Metamorphosis" and "The Mountains of Majipoor" because I am interested in the similarities between the way the novelists show alienation and I would like to explore this idea further. I am certain that the novelists intended to make the effect they did in their writing and I would like to discover exactly how it was that they achieved their effect.

"Metamorphosis" is a novella, a surreal short story that deals with a mans unusual experience of a 'metamorphosis' into a "gigantic insect". Something I noticed right away with this novel is the central metaphor. Gregors transformation into an insect should not be taken literally but as a method of getting across a view. I see "Metamorphosis" as an allegory. The central metaphor could have been used by Kafka to portray his feelings of how society treats the labour incapable. He had been separated by economic and social demand, "business duties"(pg 17) the demands of him to work to support his family, "...what's the use of lying idle in bed,"(pg 13). Gregor manifests a physical appearance that corresponds to the difference he has with his family socially. This separation may represent his alienation in the novella.

However, Kafka's story has been inter

The settings of both novels are another way of presenting alienation.

Silverberg often juxtaposes passages seemingly unrelated to each other in order to remind you of Harpirias' alienation. At the beginning of the novel he jumps from time period to time period, juxtaposing each chapter with the next showing the difference of Harpirias' new and old lives. Later he uses Harpirias' memories and juxtaposes them with passages relating to his quest. This is a way of always reminding us of the situation Harpirias is in; thus showing how alienated he feels.

In Silverberg's writing the same technique is employed, telling the reader the thoughts of the main character "Harpirias thought of the 8 palaeontologists..."(Pg. 97) and altering the narrative to correspond to his thoughts. The writers use this technique to put you in the shoes of the main character, allowing you to feel empathetic towards him. This is a great way for the writers to emphasise the alienation of the main characters because the reader feels the same alienation as the main character. It is presented to us as a personal matter, thus forcing us to realise it and concentrate more on it. The writers want us to do this because it is something that they both have as an underlying motif, important to them.

"Metamorphosis" has two settings only for the whole novella: the front room/dining room and Gregor's bedroom. This presents the feeling of entrapment. The only thing we are given from the outside world, as readers, are sounds like the doorbell ringing.

When Harpirias receives the letter informing him of his new assignment he summarises the instructions to himself. "...into the forlorn, ice bound mountainous territories of Zimroel's far Northeastern region." (Pg. 15)

The language Silverberg uses in the quote above; "forlorn", "ice bound", and "far"; all suggests an area of solitude. It creates an image of vast sheets of ice and sharp mountains breaking through it with no one for miles and miles. The image he has created with this description is cold and alienated.

In "Metamorphosis", Gregor is alienated from his family much like Harpirias is in "The Mountains of Majipoor". His family locks him in his room and doesn't allow him into the front room. In fact they do not allow him to come near them in any way. "So you're not coming any nearer?" (Chairwoman to Gregor on Pg.50). He is also alienated from the outside world. Kafka represents this in various ways. The fact that he never leaves the house and is forced to leave his job is obviously alienation from the out side world but also the fact that his physical "metamorphosis" alienates him is a more interesting matter. There is a hospital across the street to his house that he was once able to see from his bedroom window. He can no longer see the hospital because it is now out of his range of vision. Kafka uses this to symbolise how close help was for Gregor but yet he could not get it because of his physical change. He has become alienated from the help he needs because of his disability. Gregor's disability is highly responsible for his alienation. Gregor's speech becomes insect -like and no one can understand him, which inevitably alienates him further from the people around him. No one in the family is prepared to make the effort to try to talk to Gregor, and instead they shut themselves off from him emotionally. This presents alienation because Gregor is now the odd one out, the only one who does not belong. By the end of the

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Approximate Word count = 2359
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies