Comparison of The Metamorphosis and The Outsider
. Women always came second to men but at the same time were often shown as a need . The significance of motherhood is also demonstrated in The Metamorphosis, the mother almost as if was the only one keeping the family together; when Grete gave up on Gregor she was the one who still accepted Gregor as her son . Mersault however, saw his mother as an insignificant part of his life . He shows no respect for her, drinking white coffee and sleeping at his mother’s vigil . Camus and Kafka both show distinctions in gender roles to create a societal stereotype towards women . The main characters, Mersault and Gregor however, demonstrate complete opposite characteristics . Gregor shows respect towards his family and even seems to worship the lady from the photograph . Mersault has a girlfriend whom he fancies but does not value, yet his lust is what keeps him going back to her . Camus and Kafka both brought the topic of gender roles into their writing and emphasized the issue by showing male roles dominant over the females .