Not a single mind can hold the full conception of what the world is, as it is too varied and immense. One seeks to embrace the world with reason from elements of one's own individual universe but fail to find a system in which to follow. This constant struggle is why certain characters in Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis-, John Updike's Gertrude and Claudius, and Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman- rely on the untouchable perfection of Platonism as a place to direct their faith. The main character of each literary piece undergoes a form of enslavement, escapism, and eventual freedom by death while striving towards Platonism ideals.
To begin, each character is in a position of enslavement putting them in a form of despair that is ignored and transmitted into Platonism beliefs. In "The Metamorphosis- Gregor is trapped in his job more out of an obligation to the family than for himself. Similarly, .
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Willy, in "Death of a Salesman,"" faces a day to day battle based on his concept of success and his failure to achieve that ideal that has always guided him. He faces a dreary future, and all of his surroundings have not reinforced his ideals of success. Furthermore, in Gertrude and Claudius, Gertrude is betrothed to a man she has no true desire for and is faced with a life that holds no promise, but rather a life based solely on fulfilling a designated position in society. What can be identified through this pattern of enslavement with the characters is that every one of them disregard their suppressed positions and accept their established or given circumstances. When Gertrude is bringing solace to her father concerning the future he placed her in, she concludes in her mind the lines: "But no harm had been done, it seemed to sensible Gerutha: her marriage was an excellent one-(Updike 31). Gertrude is clearly bound in a lifestyle based on Aristotelianism ways, but instead of focusing on the deprived aspect of her life she appeals to the "sensible- side of things as a means to distract her from her personal needs.
