PORTRAIT OF NOTHINGNESS THROUGH THE CHARACTERIZATION OF GREGOR IN KAFKA’S THE METAMORPHOSIS
Abstract
The researcher used Franz Kafka‟s The Metamorphosis because the story in that novel contained the concept of
existentialism, namely nothingness which was experienced by the main character, Gregor. The objectives of this
research were for describing the characterization of Gregor in that novel, and analyzing Gregor‟s representation
of nothingness in that novel. In this research, the researcher used the descriptive qualitative to analyze the data
which was depend on the statements of the problem. On the other hands, the researcher also used two data
resources; they were library and internet resources. From this research, the researcher found Gregor‟s
characterization which told about the way of understanding about his characteristics. Those were negative
characteristics which were represented through direct and indirect method. Moreover, the researcher found
Gregor‟s nothingness or non-being because he had negative characteristics in himself. As long as he
experienced that position, he was incapable to conduct the job. Instead, he refused his existence, and he
preferred to live by locking himself in his room, exactly under the mattress. Thus, his parents and his sister
could not meet and find him anytime to make him free as human being
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