A study of existentialproblems faced by kafkaesque and pinteresque characters

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2010

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Yapar, Seda

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The aim of this thesis is to discuss the similarities between Kafka’s The Trial, “The Metamorphosis” and “The Judgement”, and Pinter’s plays namely, The Birthday Party, Old Times, Ashes to Ashes and The Dumb Waiter, in terms of their characters’ problems concerning their existence and their manners of dealing with these issues. The thesis argues that, as a consequence of being thrown into a meaningless world, characters created by Kafka and Pinter have to deal with existential problems like being alienated, having a limited freedom due to their facticity, and being subject to menace, the source of which is beyond their knowledge. It is also discussed that the characters of these writers apply similar methods; such as dominating the others and resorting to inauthentic existence, concerning their manner of dealing with the problems they face. In other words, this study intends to highlight the fact that both Kafka and Pinter reflect the situation of man, looking for a meaningful, secure existence in an absurd world, filled with disillusionment, loss of faith and failure of communication.

Subject Keywords

English literature.

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http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12611773/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/19480

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Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

S. Yapar, “A study of existentialproblems faced by kafkaesque and pinteresque characters,” M.A. - Master of Arts, Middle East Technical University, 2010.