The imagery found in both The Stranger and The Metamorphosis was family, room, light, the window, and the boss. The two books had a lot in common only that Meursault chose to act in a certain way, while Gregor was forced into a certain predicament.
The first image I noticed immediately was family. It was used as a means of security to provide to the characters. If someone has a dysfunctional family or even no family, then he/she will be lonely and insecure. Meursault's family really wasn't there for him, even though they were supposed to. At home, "Maman used to spend her following me with her eyes, not saying a thing.(5)" He was not crying at the funeral for his mother, " just sat there like that for quite a while.(11)" He didn't seem to care about her anymore. He grew up to not be really religious or emotional. On pg. 6, he said "While not an atheist, Maman had never in her life given a thought to religion." This led him to be the person he is now. He doesn't have an imagination or even comprehends what he is seeing. He is an unloving, indifferent, and cold person who never spent time with people. As for Gregor, he provided security for his family before, but now the family is keeping him safe. In other words, the family was dysfunctional before and now they are getting on the right track, in the sense that they began assuming job positions, so as to take care of Gregor and help him out with paying the family debt that had accumulated over the years. "His mother sewed delicate lingerie for a clothing store; his sister, who had taken a job as a salesgirl.(40-41)" Before Gregor's sudden change, he worked to provide money for the family, but now they provide him food and shelter, though with hesitation. This reminds me of my own family. Everyone has a role in the household and we depend on each other. So if one person doesn't do what they"re supposed to do, then the unit falls apart.
The image of the room/personal space was apparent in both novels.
The women "with compassion," prepare Esteban's body, a complete stranger, for burial at sea. ... His imagery of sunflowers and brightly painted buildings melts away the cold, fearful emotions most commonly portraying death in literature. ... However, Marquez's fate changed after reading The Metamorphosis by Kafka. ...
