Parallel Themes in Metamorphosis and The Death of Ivan Ilyich.
Several themes occur in both Franz Kafka's, Metmorphosis and Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, however the way in which these themes are presented and the meanings associated with them vary in each work. Isolation, materialism, and self discovery are ideas found in both pieces of literature.
Both works have a constant theme of isolation. In Kafka's work Gregor is transformed into an insect. His entire family and employer immediately reject him. His father locks him in his room; his mother faints at the mere sight of him. None of them worry about how Gregor is feeling in regards to his transformation. Their worry is more about who will provide for them now, since in the past Gregor had been the sole source of income for the family. To add to his feelings of loneliness, Gregor, being an insect is incapable of communicating with them. Rather, he must stand by in silence; powerless to speak, complain, or protest anything. .
The idea of isolation presents itself differently in Tolstoy's story. The isolation that Ivan experiences comes from the fact that whenever Ivan encounters a situation that does not promote his pleasant existence, he alienates himself from it.
"In his work itself, especially in his examinations, he very soon acquired a method of eliminating all considerations irrelevant to the legal aspect of the case, and reducing even the most complicated case to a form in which it would be presented on paper only in its externals, completely excluding his personal opinion of the matter, while above all observing every prescribed formality" (1191).
Ivan was masterful at taking the most complicated of matters and reducing them to simple forms on paper. This ability was reflected in the way he dealt with potentially emotional and personal situations with apathy and objectivity, reflects in all aspects of his life. As aforementioned, Ivan deals with unlikable affairs and relationships by pushing them away and erecting barriers between himself and the possible offensive influence.