The play “Equus” by Peter Shaffer and the short story “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka both demonstrate alienation in the two main characters. Alan Strang in “Equus” becomes isolated from society and his family because of an extreme passion for horses, while Gregor Samsa in “Metamorphosis” is a character who has inherently isolated himself his whole life and he somehow becomes more isolated when he turns into a bug overnight. Both Alan and Gregor go through their estrangement in strikingly similar ways and as the two stories go on, it is revealed why these characters came to alienation and how they live with it. Alan Strang in “Equus” and Gregor Samsa in “Metamorphosis” are both characters that share similar stories of struggling with alienation.
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“Metamorphosis” and “Equus” both similarly illustrate a distance between the main character and their father figure. The issues between the father figures and the main characters contribute to the overall alienation in the two stories. Both Alan and Gregor, to some extent face rejection from their fathers, which causes them to isolate themselves not only from the father figure but from other people. In “Metamorphosis,” Gregor Samsa has a difficult relationship with his father, as his father failed his business so Gregor has taken on the responsibility of making money for the family. Once Gregor turns into a bug, his father rejects him more than ever and he attacks him when he first sees him. “His little legs on one side were trembling in mid-air while those on the other found themselves painfully pressed against the ground - when from behind his father now gave him a truly liberating kick, and he was thrown, bleeding profusely, far into his room” (Kafka 106). Toward the end of the story, Gregor faces severe rejection and humiliation from his father when his father chases him around the room and throws fruit at him. “A feebly tossed apple brushed against Gregor’s back, only to bounce off it harmlessly. One thrown a moment later, however, seemed to pierce it” (Kafka …show more content…
Alan’s father strongly disbelieves in religion while Alan’s mother is extremely religious. This difference causes Alan to isolate from both of their beliefs and find his own: horses. Alan faces rejection from his father because he disproves of his religion toward horses. When Alan was six, his father angrily pulled him off a horse and Alan fell on the ground. (Shaffer 35). This ultimately showed Alan that his father disproved of his attraction toward horses. This rejection and isolation from his father results in Alan’s alienation from everything but horses. Evidently, Alan and Gregor’s difficult relationships with their father figures undeniably provoked their alienation. Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” and Shaffer’s “Equus” imaginatively illustrate alienation in each story’s main character. Alan in “Equus” and Gregor in “Metamorphosis” both struggle with alienation because of their relationships with their fathers and they similarly come upon their disconnection from society because of their passions and priorities in life. Overall, Alan and Gregor share very analogous stories of their alienation and the way they come to be
“Metamorphosis” and “Equus” both similarly illustrate a distance between the main character and their father figure. The issues between the father figures and the main characters contribute to the overall alienation in the two stories. Both Alan and Gregor, to some extent face rejection from their fathers, which causes them to isolate themselves not only from the father figure but from other people. In “Metamorphosis,” Gregor Samsa has a difficult relationship with his father, as his father failed his business so Gregor has taken on the responsibility of making money for the family. Once Gregor turns into a bug, his father rejects him more than ever and he attacks him when he first sees him. “His little legs on one side were trembling in mid-air while those on the other found themselves painfully pressed against the ground - when from behind his father now gave him a truly liberating kick, and he was thrown, bleeding profusely, far into his room” (Kafka 106). Toward the end of the story, Gregor faces severe rejection and humiliation from his father when his father chases him around the room and throws fruit at him. “A feebly tossed apple brushed against Gregor’s back, only to bounce off it harmlessly. One thrown a moment later, however, seemed to pierce it” (Kafka …show more content…
Alan’s father strongly disbelieves in religion while Alan’s mother is extremely religious. This difference causes Alan to isolate from both of their beliefs and find his own: horses. Alan faces rejection from his father because he disproves of his religion toward horses. When Alan was six, his father angrily pulled him off a horse and Alan fell on the ground. (Shaffer 35). This ultimately showed Alan that his father disproved of his attraction toward horses. This rejection and isolation from his father results in Alan’s alienation from everything but horses. Evidently, Alan and Gregor’s difficult relationships with their father figures undeniably provoked their alienation. Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” and Shaffer’s “Equus” imaginatively illustrate alienation in each story’s main character. Alan in “Equus” and Gregor in “Metamorphosis” both struggle with alienation because of their relationships with their fathers and they similarly come upon their disconnection from society because of their passions and priorities in life. Overall, Alan and Gregor share very analogous stories of their alienation and the way they come to be