Ovid’in Metamorphoses ve Kafka’nın Die Verwandlung Eserlerinde Dönüşüm İzleği

Ufuk Atalay

doi:10.65162/tv8vgk53

Authors

Ufuk Atalay Selçuk Üniversitesi Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1703-0778

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65162/tv8vgk53

Keywords:

Transformation, loss of identity, social alienation, Ovid, Kafka

Abstract

This study examines the loss of identity, social alienation and symbolic meanings of the theme of transformation by comparing Ovid's Metamorphoses and Kafka's Transformation through thematic analysis. In Ovid's mythological narrative, transformation is presented as divine punishment or reward; in Kafka's modern approach, it is treated as an identity crisis reflecting the individual's alienation from social norms and family pressures. In both works, formal metamorphosis is associated with a loss of identity and a questioning of one's sense of affiliation. In Ovid's story, the characters' Kafkaesque imprisonment in animal form while retaining their human minds is linked to the natural order and moral punishment, while in Kafka's novel, Gregor Samsa's transformation into an insect symbolises the mechanisms of modern capitalist society that objectify the individual. The aim of this study is to show how the motif of transformation reflects the existential contradictions of humanity and its interaction with social dynamics, tracing its development from ancient mythology to modern literature. The final part of the study argues that both texts treat the symbol of transformation not only as a physical change, but also as a universal metaphor emphasising the fragility of the self.

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