Existentialism In Albert Camus The Metamorphosis

Everyone has a different view of the world and it can be affected by their environment or the people they surround themselves with. Some believe there is no meaning to life, where as some people believe everything that happens in life has a meaning or is a sign for something. Existentialism is the belief that there is no meaning in life, but rather everyone creates their own meaning and purpose. Characters in many literature pieces do not feel any desire towards figuring out their lives or even improving them, which stands true for some humans as well. However, there are also unique situations that people and characters may face in their stories that cause them to create their own purpose. In Albert Camus’ The Stranger and Franz Kafka's The …show more content…
In The Metamorphosis, Kafka showed Gregor Samsa to have existentialist ideals due to the way he viewed the world and situations he had been presented with. He had a different way of presenting those ideals by making his purpose in a seemingly purposeless world. Gregor was turned into a bug and so when he woke up he was unable to go to work. His boss came to his house and threatened to fire him. Gregor did not just let that happen though, and instead he said, “Now, sir, you see, I’m not stubborn and I’m willing to work; traveling is a hardship, but without it I couldn’t live” (Kafka 16). Although he had not chosen to wake up as a bug, or to have his boss get very mad at him, he was still distraught because he was not able to go to work. He decided that his purpose in the world was to be a travelling salesman and through that he was able to provide for his family. Some existential believers think that life is pointless and that you should just do whatever life presents you with and therefore you are basically living to die. However, Gregor had a different version of existentialism and he found his own purpose in the world rather than letting the world dictate his