Over the past few weeks, we have read and discussed three widely recognized books (Metamorphosis by Kafka, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and Perfume by Patrick Suskind) which share similarities in themes and in the character profiles of Gregor Samsa, John Baptiste Grenouille and Meursault. These themes and profiles include: isolation and alienation from humanity as well as society, sociopathic tendencies, distorted reality, feelings of apathy towards life and others, among others. First, in Kafka's Metamorphoses, we are introduced with a man named Gregor, who wakes up one day as an insect, and we see how his life changes completely afterward, until his death. Gregor is portrayed as an apathetic loner, whose only aspiration is to work hard as a traveling salesman to financially and single-handedly support his family. Having become an insect, he isolates himself more and more, even from his own family. We see how he slowly becomes more insect than human. He loses his ability to communicate and stays in his locked room under his couch all day. It begins to enjoy crawling around its walls and being in the dark, just like any other insect would. He has no sense of conscience or remorse regarding the burden he has become on his family, economically and emotionally. His family comes to view him as a mere insect and even a parasite, rather than their son and dear brother, and once he dies, they are flooded with feelings of relief and a new appreciation for life. and the opportunities it offers. the most important themes of Metamorphosis, because it is the basis of the story. Gregor wakes up like a bug and his lack of reaction makes it seem like it's completely normal,...... middle of paper ......e perfume master and is devoured by a crowd. Isolation is a key theme in The Stranger. Grenouille is alienated from birth by being odorless. For example, Jeanne Bussie, the nanny who was assigned to take care of him, rejects him because he is odorless. She even insists that he is evil and possessed by the devil. It is said that he could never be loved because human love is produced in response to personal scent, and so he never understood or felt love itself. His superior olfactory abilities also caused isolation, he was considered unusual when he was young and other children always kept their distance. Additionally, on his way to Grasse, he began traveling only at night due to the lack of human scent, until he came across a cave where people and human dwellings could not smell at all. the smell and happily decided to stay there for seven long years..