Woman At Point Zero and The Metamorphosis

Thesis Statement: The absence of mother in the protagonist’s life in Woman At Point Zero and The Metamorphosis contributes greatly to their alienation.

‘All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my Mother’ -Abraham Lincoln.’1 Alienation: a withdrawing or separation of a person, or a person’s affections from an object or position of former attachment4. Alienation is a key theme present in Woman at Point Zero2 and The Metamorphosis3 by Nawaal El Saadawi and Franz Kafka respectively which is approached in different ways. With the use of diction, imagery, contrast and symbolism, this is greatly seen through the unusual bonds that Firdaus and Gregor share with their mothers throughout their lives.

Gregor from The Metamorphosis was brought up in a society where men took charge, he being the sole bread earner for his family. When he undergoes his metamorphosis, he hates the fact his family has to work and he ‘toyed with the idea that next time the door was opened, he would take the family’s affairs in hand’ (111). The idea of wanting to take control suggests that he disliked the fact that ‘his mother had to do the cooking’ (96) since he had always been the one in charge of the economical issues of the household. The word ‘toyed’ creates a feeling of self pity or grief as it symbolizes Gregor’s attitude toward his change in personality which creates a poignant mood. Gregor is now more alone with no support from his mother as she refuses to visit him too; this creates a symbolic alienated atmosphere which is developed as the novel progresses.

Nawaal El Saadawi shows us how Firdaus from Woman At Point Zero did not share a normal relationship with her mother in the little time that she lived with her. She first notices her mothe...

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...ses his death. Similarly, when the prince criticizes Firdaus’ mother of being a criminal, she solidly states ‘my mother was not a criminal’ (100). It is seen that Firdaus still holds the same respect for her mother as she defends her wholly. The diction choice of ‘my’ creates an unbalanced contrast as Firdaus tries to display her possessive love for her mother. She had lived as all, a true woman, as a wife and as a prostitute. It can be suggested that this is why she regains the respect she had for her mother which was lost along her journey of life, as she realizes how survival for a woman in her culture was truly a struggle.

WORKS CITED:

4. Webster’s All-In-One Dictionary and Thesaurus, 2008 Edition

2. Nawaal El Saadawi. ‘Woman At Point Zero.’ London: Zed Books Ltd, 1983

3. Kafka, Franz. ‘The Metamorphosis and other stories.’ England: Penguin Books, 1992