Society’s Effect in Peter Shaffer’s Equus and Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Peter Shaffer and Franz Kafka, the authors of Equus and Metamorphosis, reveal through their main characters’ struggles how society’s oppression causes a loss of identity. This oppression is caused by society’s obsession with what it believes to be normal and how society’s beliefs drive it to conform those who don’t fit its normal image. The two authors use their characters to symbolize the different views and judgments of society. And based on these judgments, the authors use two different types of oppression that cause different outcomes. Finally, this essay will reveal how the two authors use their characters to drain the protagonist’s identity to show society’s desire to conform.

In both books, the authors use their characters to symbolize society’s views and judgments. The authors do this to show how society is watching and judging us, however, they also reveal how society’s judgments can vary. Shaffer shows this in Equus, when he writes through his character Heather, “He’s [Alan] in pain. Martin. He’s been in pain for most of his life … and you can take it away.” (2 25). Heather shows society’s inability to comprehend or accept who Alan is and views his difference as something that can be changed for his benefit. However, Shaffer inserts another point of view through his character Dalton, “In my opinion the boy [Alan] should be in prison. Not in the hospital at the tax payers’ expense.” (1 12). Dalton shows society’s disgust and outrage at Alan’s actions and believes it is a waste of time and money to try changing him. Instead, he sees it better to send him to prison and away from society so Alan can not trouble them with his presence. In Metamorphosis, Kafka uses his characters physical actions to reveal how s...

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...this new identity Gregor dies.

In both of these two books, the authors use their minor characters to illustrate society’s judgment on their main characters because of their differences. According to society’s opinion, the protagonist will either go through an internal or physical oppression brought on by society’s rejection of their differences. Alan’s internal oppression forces him to abandon his religion, while Gregor’s physical oppression ends up killing him. Then, using any means necessary, society will use others to try to conform the protagonist into what they deem to be normal or into what they believe is best for them. By adding these subtopics within their books the authors, Peter Shaffer and Franz Kafka, reveal through their main characters how society’s oppression, due to it’s obsession with what it believes to be normal, causes a loss of identity.