* Franz Kafka writes with a unique style in Metamorphosis giving the reader a very anxious and tense feeling. Kafka achieves this by writing in very short and choppy sentences that reflect the thought process of Gregor. Along with these short, choppy sentences, Kafka includes a series of rhetorical questions showing the wild course Gregor’s mind goes through to make every minor decision as quickly as possible.
* The Outsider is conversely written in a structure that creates a feeling of a lack of true emotion. Albert Camus’s writing reflects the routine of Mersault and portrays a sense of normalcy within a very mournful situation. This is shown when Mersault is on his way to his mother’s funeral and Camus writes that he routinely stops a restaurant to eat. This nonchalant writing style is different then Kafka’s style where one shows abundance or overwhelming emotion and the other shows a lack of emotion in a very mournful time.
* Kafka and Camus also differ in their writing tenses. In Metamorphosis, Kafka shifts from third-person to first person, in the first paragraph, and then continues on with third-person. These tenses go along with the style of showing the though process of Gregor and it gives a reader and outside as well as inside perspective into his thoughts.
* The Outsider on the other hand is written primarily in the first person tense. Camus is able to the take the reader through Mersault’s thoughts in his perspective, which lends to an added bias in feeling and emotion. Mersault does not show much emotion during the time of his mother’s death because he has not been a part of her life in recent years and Camus is able to successfully show that because he uses 1st person tense and is able to portray bias in emotion.
* The tone of both passages also differs. Metamorphosis portrays an anxious and worrisome tone. In Metamorphosis, Gregor randomly evolves into an insect and he discovers the many difficulties that come with that lifestyle. This abrupt evolution creates a tone of worry and anxious feelings because Gregor is confused and does not know what to in his current situation. Also, the added pressure from his parents and sister to support for the family creates a tone of worry. Because he is not able to perform his duties for the family and go to work to pay back debts, the tension is increased and he begins to become more panicked and worried.
* The Outsider portrays a nonchalant tone mainly as a result of the attitude of the character Mersault. Throughout the first excerpt, Mersault continues to show his lack of emotion towards his mother’s death, which is a very unusual phenomenon. Gregor continues his daily routine of eating at the usual restaurant despite the tragedy in his family. He also feels that it would take to much effort to visit his own mother and this along with other actions create a nonchalant tone that carries through this excerpt.
