In Camus' The Stranger and Kafka's The Metamorphosis, the protagonist finds himself in an extraordinary situation that tests his will. In both novels, this initially unlikable character struggles to redeem himself. In doing so, his identity develops and his positive qualities become evident. The characters thus become unexpectedly sympathetic to the reader and each novel ends on a hopeful note. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In The Stranger, the protagonist Meursault can be judged as a cold-hearted murderer, emotionally detached from the world around him. His alienation from society and indifference to love and pain are evident. “Mum died today,” he comments, “or maybe yesterday, I don't know.” He treats others insensitively: “He asked me if I loved him. I told her it didn't mean anything, but that I didn't think so. Meursault focuses only on the physical aspects of life, especially those relating to light and heat: "There was not a shadow to be seen and every object... stood out so sharply that it was painful to my eyes." The central event of The Stranger occurs when Meursault shoots the Arab. The language used in this passage is so elaborate and full of similes – “The steel… was like a long glittering sword,” for example – it almost detaches the act from Meursault and makes the reader wonder whether he did it with intent or less. : “That's when everything started to fall apart. The sea carried a dense and burning breath. It felt like the sky was splitting from one end to the other to rain down fire… The trigger gave way.” Camus detaches Meursault from the action with “The trigger gave,” further isolating Meursault from intentions or consequences – and therefore from blame. In prison, Meursault's positive qualities become evident. He has the opportunity to get away with a lesser sentence but instead, with “It was because of the sun”, he admits his guilt. He also seems more sympathetic than the unsympathetic judge who “sees nothing but a monster” in Meursault. The reader, who has come to view the murder as unpremeditated, becomes defensive towards the protagonist when the judge wishes Meursault's death sentence and states: “Never before have I felt this onerous task so fully compensated and counterbalanced, not to mention illuminated by a sense of urgent and sacred duty.” The reader gets the sense that the judge is being overly harsh on Meursault, misjudging his inherently dignified (if detached and alienated) character. When the climax is reached and Meursault is sentenced to death, we then feel sympathy for this once unpleasant character. Kafka's Metamorphosis of Gregor initially appears self-centered and unsympathetic. Some evidence suggests that Gregor, unlike Meursault, acts this way intentionally. For example, the main reason he works so hard and supports his entire family is to appear like a hero: "If I didn't have to hold my hand because of my parents, I would have quit a long time ago." She even gives priority to romantic relationships, as the image in her bedroom does not show a personal companion or even a sensual image but rather shows "a lady, in a fur cap and fur stole, sitting upright ". be seen in two ways. On the one hand we feel sorry that, for no specific reason, he is transformed into a repulsive cockroach. On the other hand, we think he deserves it, considering that his life before the transformation seemed very empty and unimportant. In both cases, Gregor's true transformation occurs in.