Comparision Between The Metamorphosis and Siddhartha essays

Comparision Between The Metamorphosis and Siddhartha essays The Idea of Change in The Metamorphosis and Siddhartha Although The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse are very different in approach, they both have a very significant similar theme, which is change. This change can also be called a transformation or a metamorphosis of the Self. Each character goes through different stages of the change, with each stage bringing them closer to their salvation. Thus, everything that the characters experience along their journeys is of importance. The necessity for change is more apparent in Siddhartha than in The Metamorphosis. However, both Gregor and Siddhartha must experience change and learn from their experiences before they are able to find the salvation that they desire. In the novella The Metamorphosis, Gregors life changes drastically, but it turns out to be the salvation he needs by the end. He undergoes a physical change that causes him to endure emotional changes as well. At the very beginning, the reader finds out that Gregor is not fond of his job and merely does it to take care of his family, because his fathers business failed years ago. This indicates that Gregor is trapped by his job because he feels an obligation to provide for his family. The metamorphosis into an insect suggests that this change is the only way for him to escape and be free, because as an insect he is not able to take care of his family. However, it turns out that he cannot escape this burden, because after the metamorphosis his family is disgusted by him and keeps him locked into his room, causing him to still be trapped. This signifies how they really feel about him. They feel that he is as useless as an insect, which causes him to sink deeper into his bug-lik e state. Though the physical change that Gregor endures is very abrupt, it causes him to go through another slower change. This change is him realizing that his family can take care of themselves with...