German writer Franz Kafka's and American J.D. Salinger's respective masterpieces, The Metamorphosis (1915) and The Catcher in the Rye (1951), examine the universal themes of personal relationships within the context of painful change. Each did that in his own way: Kafka portrayed familial support and sympathy as necessary to the alleviation of pain, while Salinger suggested that to truly grow up is to come to terms with one's relationships and ultimately one's role in society. ... In contrast, meanwhile, Salinger paints Holden as unable to come to terms with his place in so...

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• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate