The Machines

In “The Metamorphosis” we meet Gregor Samsa who is, for as long as we know him, an insect. He takes this major transformation in his life in stride, never troubling himself much with the question of how such a grotesque an event could have happened to him. Although he does show signs of being in denial, even when he accepts the truth of his new existence, he does not express any well-deserved self-pity, other than saying “he himself wasn’t feeling particularly fresh and active” (69).

Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” begins with another life-altering event, at least for most. We begin our time with Meursault on the day he finds out his mother died, but that’s no big deal. It’s not like they had anything to say to each other, and visiting her always “took up [his] Sunday” anyway (5). A little time with Marie and he is fine in no time, although he does feel a bit guilty—but then “you always feel a little guilty” (20).

Both men show a certain apathy that is quite astounding, living both their lives as machines more than humans. They operate in different ways but show definite detachment from the lives they are leading.

Gregor is a machine in the sense that he allows the people around him control to dictate his actions. He works at a job he hates to help his parents, shows such allegiance to this job he loathes that he worries about getting to work more that the fact that he has become a vermin. After his transformation he is completely controlled as he is imprisoned in his room and is visited by his sister, who acts as the prison guard, twice a day.

Meursault gives the extreme case, often voicing such concepts as “my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings” and “nothing, nothing mattered” (65, 121). He takes all things as they come, doing anything if it doesn’t hurt him or will appeal to some physical necessity. For him life is just a series of decisions that don’t matter either way.

These two characters seemed to have been sent as warnings from the authors. The metamorphosis of Gregor and the lack of emotion of Meursault test their communities. The reactions of their communities show that they do not take the chance that is given to them to change. Maybe the author’s hoped that readers would take the hint.