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Wolf, Adriana

Mr. Morris

Adv. World Literature

10 April, 2017

8. 8. Metamorphosis and Moon

Existentialism, Imagery, Diction and Tone

Moon And Metamorphosis focus on existentialism and worthlessness, illustrated by Sam

Bell and Gregors isolation, and perpetual presence inside their thoughts. They feel undeserving

of life, and therefore decide not to live it. This depressing tone sets the tenor for the story,

conveying the themes of isolation and self-abasement. Many of these ideas are frequently

explored by Franz Kafka. His writings include isolated protagonists that struggle with guilt and

sadness; ideas which have their genesis from his abusive childhood.

The two prominent themes in Moon and Metamorphosis are isolation, and worthlessness.

Both Gregor and Sam realize at some point in their journey that they have no-one who loves

them. Gregor becomes a bug that disgusts everyone, including his family. One realization that he

is no longer wanted by his family sets in, he feels that they will be better off without him,

causing him to want to die. Sam discovers that he was cloned from the original Sam Bell. Once

Sam realizes that he has no family to support him, and he is a ploy for the company to save

money, he warns the next clone, You really think they give a shit about us? Theyre laughing all

the way to the bank. Sam is discardable to the company, to whom he is only worth three years

of free labor. In each story, the protagonists are physically and mentally isolated. Gregor is
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forced to stay in one room, and Sam is trapped on the moon, both with limited human contact.

Because they have no contact with others, they are made prisoners within their own minds, with

the constraints of having only their own voice asking questions, and then answering them back.

The central narratives consist of Sam and Gregors internal distress, a stream of

consciousness from the characters. This concept of an ongoing train of thought was first

introduced by William James in his Principles of Psychology (1890). Because Sam and Gregor

are secluded, there is nobody to break their flow of thought, forcing the narration to mostly

consist of their assessments of internal feeling and external imagery. The stories are shown and

described from their restricted perspectives, The sensory detail is excruciatingly immediate, and

described from Gregor and Sams limited viewpoints. The barren settings also reflect the

isolation felt by both Sam and Gregor. Gregors feelings are echoed in his room, But the lofty,

empty room in which he had to lay flat on the floor filled him with an apprehension he could not

account for(1124). His internal loneliness is mirrored in his surroundings. In Moon, Sam is also

painfully lonely and his surroundings are empty and sterile. In both stories, the internal conflict

the characters feel is mirrored in place they find themselves residing.

The depressing setting and diction contributes to the mood, and assists in conveying the

themes of the works. Both characters accept the promise of death because they already feel

worthless by that point. This worthlessness felt by Sam and Gregor is described through the

desolate setting in each story; both because the setting itself symbolizes worthlessness, as there is

nothing of value in it, and because it is described as cold and uninviting. Both the sterile setting

and isolated themes of the stories are depressing, and feed into the idea of existentialism;

described as, The stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity,
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individual freedom, and choice(Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, 1p.). The

voice of the individual is explored in both works using the stream of consciousness as the

conduit through which we see the attributes of existentialism. The one character narration

conveys the focus on the individual, which is stressed under the existentialist philosophy.

Individuality is also displayed through the lengthy description given of both Sam and Gregor,

consisting of physical, and mental attributes. The main narrative of each story prioritizes the

thoughts and actions of Sam and Gregor which yokes the concept of individual exploration with

existentialism.

In both Moon and Metamorphosis, the two most common themes were depression and

worthlessness. These themes were reflected through the sullen setting and diction in both stories.

The imagery also explores perspective, solely perceived from Gregor and Sams mind. Abrupt

and concise, the intent is to convey that it is from the perspective of the main characters. The

sense of loneliness experienced by Sam and Gregor in both Moon and Metamorphosis was a

catalyst for the depression that overcame them, Loneliness is a strong risk factor for depression,

over and above measures of objective social connection(Social isolation, loneliness and

depression in young adulthood: a behavioural genetic analysis). Both Sam and Gregor were

unwanted by society, causing them to choose self-isolation. While it is understood that Sam and

Gregor chose to isolate themselves, it is still unclear as to whether isolation cause depression, or

depression causes isolation. Perhaps, their self-imposed situation is a manifestation of a

downward spiral; the more isolated the characters became, the greater their depression; the more

depressed the characters became, the more they desired isolation.

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Works Cited

"Existentialism." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, p. 1p. 1. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=EX076200&site=ehost-live

Matthews, Timothy, et al. "Social Isolation, Loneliness and Depression in Young Adulthood: A

Behavioural Genetic Analysis." Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, vol. 51,

no. 3, Mar. 2016, pp. 339-348. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s00127-016-1178-7.

KAFKA, FRANZ. METAMORPHOSIS. S.l.: LEGEND, 2017. Print.

Moon. By Nathan Parker. Prod. Stuart Fenegan. 2009. DVD.

"Stream of Consciousness." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web.

24 Apr. 2017.

Thesis Development (Answer as Comments):

1. Describe what you think the essay is going to be about from the authors thesis.
2. Is the author developing a thesis that is relevant to prompt? Why or why not?
3. Does the thesis have an argued position, or is it just a restatement of the prompt?

Concrete Evidence (Answer as Comments):

4. What is the concrete evidence for the position in the draft? If none are present, suggest
areas of further development regarding your own research with the prompt.

Style (Answer as Comments):

5. Who is the authors target audience (is the essay academic, or informal)? Does the target
audience match the content and tone of the essay?
6. Is the author using the correct essay format? If they have not, is it for good reasons?
7. Is the writing interesting and engaging? Is it something you can see being published in an
online journal? Suggest two specific areas of improvement.

Knowers Subjectivity (Answer as Comments):

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8. Does the author show an awareness of his or her own perspective as a knower in relation
to other perspectives, such as those that may arise, for example, from academic and
philosophical traditions, culture or position in society (gender, age, and so on)? How so?

Grammar (Answer as Comments):

9. Is the language clear and central terms explained or developed?

10. Is factual information correct and properly cited?
11. 3 Questions for the author to consider:
12. Other comments (1 paragraph summary):

Screenshot of Originality Report (from turnitin.com)

Rubric rating submitted on: 5/4/2017, 10:31:14 PM by justintylermorris@gmail.com

3 2 1 0

Overall Introductory, body, Introductory, body, Introductory, body, Introductory, body,

Structure/Complete and concluding and concluding and concluding and concluding
ness paragraphs follow paragraphs follow paragraphs follow paragraphs follow
Your score: 3 an effective an effective an effective an effective
organization style in organization style in organization style in organization style in
MLA format. MLA format. MLA format. MLA format.

Thesis and Thesis provides a Thesis provides Thesis only Thesis and/or
Argument correct invitation some overview of provides a general conclusion focused
Regarding Common and overview of the the purpose and response to the merely on
Theme purpose and clearly adequately prompt without restatements of the
Your score: 3 discusses discusses how the clear examples of prompt or summary
specifically how the film, Moon how the film, Moon of the text/film or
film, Moon connects to connects to does not connect a
connects to Metamorphosis Metamorphosis common theme.
Metamorphosis regarding a regarding a
regarding a common theme. common theme.
common theme. Essay uses specific Essay uses specific
Essay uses specific examples of events examples of events
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examples of events and interactions that and interactions that

and interactions that reveal the theme. reveal the theme.
reveal the theme. Thesis effectively Thesis effectively
Thesis effectively summarizes the summarizes the
summarizes the main argument of main argument of
main argument of the paper and the paper and
the paper and succinctly answers succinctly answers
succinctly answers the prompt. the prompt.
the prompt.

Accuracy/Persuasio Topic sentences are Most paragraphs includes a topic The body consists
n supported with include a topic sentence but is of fewer than two
Your score: 3 specific details and sentence, but is superficially paragraphs and or
examples. often disjointed connect to the topic the content is highly
Transitional words with the content of and doesn't repetitive. No
or phrases join the paragraph. Some introduce the transitional words
paragraphs. In-text transitional words paragraph or phrases are used.
citations are present or phrases are used. effectively. Few In-text citations are
and consistent with In-text citations are transitional words not present or are
the argument. not always present or phrases are used. not consistent with
Credibility of or are not always In-text citations are the argument.
sources are clear consistent with the rarely consistent Credibility of
and evident. argument. with the argument. sources not clear
Credibility of Credibility of and evident.
sources are sources are
sometimes clear and sometimes clear and
evident. evident.

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