From Estrangement to Selfhood: Alienation and the Search for Meaning in The Stranger and The Metamorphosis

The twentieth century witnessed a profound crisis of identity as rapid social, political, and philosophical transformations challenged traditional conceptions of the self and human existence. Against this backdrop, Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Albert Camus' The Stranger emerge as seminal explorations of alienation, exposing the individual's struggle to establish meaning within an indifferent and often incomprehensible world. This study undertakes a comparative examination of these two texts to investigate how alienation shapes modern identity and influences the protagonists' perceptions of self, society, and existence. Employing a qualitative, comparative approach informed by existentialist philosophy, absurdism, and theories of alienation, the study analyzes the experiences of Gregor Samsa and Meursault as representations of the fragmented modern individual. Gregor's metamorphosis symbolizes the dehumanizing effects of social and familial estrangement, while Meursault's emotional detachment and rejection of conventional social values embody the existential confrontation with the absurd. Although the protagonists respond differently to their isolation, both narratives reveal the tension between individual authenticity and the expectations imposed by society. The study argues that Kafka and Camus redefine alienation as more than a condition of social exclusion; they present it as a fundamental aspect of modern consciousness that compels individuals to question identity, freedom, and purpose. By highlighting the collapse of stable meaning and the inadequacy of traditional moral and cultural frameworks, both works illuminate the complexities of the modern human condition. Moreover, this comparative analysis demonstrates that The Metamorphosis and The Stranger remain enduring literary texts that deepen our understanding of alienation and the ongoing search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented world