Comparing The Metamorphosis And The Unknown Citizen
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“The Metamorphosis” and “The Unknown Citizen” share the theme of identity and also criticize society about how we treat each other. In “The Metamorphosis,” Gregor eventually accepts his identity as an insect and continues to feel lonely as his family abandons him emotionally and mentally. The Unknown Citizen’s identity is largely based on government documents and records and completely lacks any emotional connection to the outside world. Both men lose touch with society in some way and unfortunately are either completely forgotten or memorialized by an emotionless monument and poem. Both pieces suggest that once we die or fail to fall into the role that society expects of us we are no longer important. The large amount of control that businesses and the government has over these two men…show more content… The urgent tone of “I have to get up-my train leaves at five” (613, Metamorphosis) implies that Gregor’s life was so consumed by his work and family that he didn’t even have time to spare to evaluate his new body. Similarly, the mechanical tone of “he was married and added five children to the population” (Line 25) suggests that the man’s greatest contribution to society was being passive and creating more humans. The bureaucratic narrator treated the man’s family as assets and statistics more than real people. The narrator in “The Unknown Citizen treated the man and his family the same way Grete and the Samsa’s treated Gregor. Both groups saw the men as tiny insects, figuratively and literally. The narrator identified the man as a parasite size statistic, while the Samsa’s unknowingly treated Gregor like a parasite until he actually became one and then the treated him like he didn’t even exist. This invisibility connects to the “Invisible Man” and how the narrator was invisible, mostly because he didn’t take significant action to help others and get