The Metamorphosis Literary Analysis

The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka both incorporate “irreal” elements throughout their works. These elements provide an alternative point of view where the lives of main characters are recreated and imagined as part of their surroundings. It’s almost as if the characters are watching their lives from an outside vantage point, rather than living in the moment, which makes it easier to cope with their difficult circumstances. These two works are complementary in establishing relationships, exposing internal conflicts, and escaping the reality that these characters yearn for in their lives.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman presents her content in a journalistic style. The point of view is in first

They both feel trapped within their own lives, emotionally and physically. She saw the woman in the wallpaper as a companion in her days of isolation and self-meditation, and she realized that she needed to break free of her husband’s expectations and live her life her desired way. This gave readers insight to the emotional tendencies of the main character and motivations from discovering the meaning of the intricate wallpaper design. This is achieved when she states, “I’ve got out at last in spite of you and Jane. I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!”

His altered state of consciousness was a necessity to regain control of is his life, where he got the necessary break from not only work, but also family expectations. Just like the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the emotional tendencies are evident throughout the whole story; however, at the end when he dies in this new state, he is finally content with his life and the conflicts are resolved between his priorities and his families.

Overall, both characters in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Metamorphosis” incorporate “irreal” elements that alter the characters’ lives to describe their internal conflicts, as well as the escape from reality that was necessary to regain their happiness and motivation to deviate away from their families’ desires. Both characters became a part of their surroundings, allowing readers to enhance their understanding of the real elements, such as the motives behind the characters in the works and read it from the character’s point of