Like death or abandonment, alienation is one of the most deeply rooted fears in being human. As social creatures, humans need to identify as part of a group, whether that group is a family, a culture, or a religion. The experience of alienation is a violation of a person's need for acceptance. Leo Tolstoy in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Franz Kafka in Metamorphosis both use alienation as a central theme to comment on the human need to experience love and acceptance. Ivan Ilyich and Gregor Samsa experience in their respective tragedies a great alienation which separates them from the groups to which they have been comfortably attached for most of their lives. Both authors trace the theme of alienation by exposing the displacement experienced emotionally, psychologically, and physically by their central characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe physical changes that tormented Ivan Ilyich and Gregor Samsa were the forces that perpetuated even greater alienation. These physical changes are important to note because not only did they alter the characters' appearance, but they also affected how those around them perceived them and profoundly influenced how the men perceived themselves and others . Although the physical changes may seem to be the less tragic part of the two stories, by physically distinguishing the men as different from those around them, the authors are better able to comment on the mental isolation which becomes the worst part of the woes of the two men. The physical alienation felt by the two characters is therefore at the origin of other forms of alienation which will later affect Gregor and Ivan. Both men undergo disturbing physical transformations that change their lives. Gregor's physical change is immediately evident in the first sentence of Kafka's Metamorphoses. As soon as he wakes up, Gregor finds himself “transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect [. . .] lying on its hard shell-shaped back and [. . .] he could see its curved brown belly, divided by stiff, arched ribs. " (Kafka 76). This physical transformation marks the beginning of a series of events during which Gregor is estranged from his family and acquaintances. Gregor's transformation is global; not only does he look completely different, but his voice, tastes and abilities have also undergone serious changes This complete physical change is only partially his physical alienation Gregor is also physically isolated from his family. a room and are unable to even look at his monstrous form Gregor's adaptation from being a daily traveler with his work to being a true prisoner in his house is one way in which the reader can identify with the. drastic alienation that Gregor experiences as a result of his physical transformation The door to his room becomes a barrier rather than an opening to the world, and the reader witnesses the great difficulty that Gregor encounters: “he desperately clenched his jaws on. the key” (Kafka 86). Ivan's physical alienation is less dramatic than Gregor's. , but also begins a series of alienations. Instead of a dramatic alteration in appearance, Ivan's physical transformation is a slow deterioration of the body, which for most of the story is imperceptible. Although the illness causes Ivan pain, the changesPhysical features only become apparent nearly two-thirds of the way through the story, during his brother-in-law's visit. Even Ivan is unaware of his physical transformation, as shown when his brother-in-law "opened his mouth to gasp but held back", and Ivan asked, "What is that?" have I changed? (Tolstoy 85). Ivan, like Gregor, is also physically isolated from his old life. He too has been confined to his room after his illness begins to worsen, hampering his once sociable lifestyle and is subjected to watching his loved ones go about "in a whirlwind of social activity" (Tolstoy 80). Tolstoy exposes the alienation his character feels through the long, lonely hours in which Ivan constantly questions his misfortunes and becomes angry at death while his family goes about their daily lives. The alienation experienced by the two characters is also exposed through psychological methods. Both Ivan and Gregor experience changes in how they view themselves and how they relate to others. Although both constantly seek to alleviate the effects of the alienation they experience, neither is able to maintain the psychology they had before misfortune struck. Ivan's realization of his mortality constitutes an extreme change in his psychology and allows him to delve deeper into his once superficial existence. For example, during a card game that he really liked, Ivan would watch and “see how upset Mikhail Mikhailovich was while he himself didn't care. And it was terrible to think why he didn’t care” (Tolstoy 82). . This change in Ivan further distances him from his knowledge because they have not reached the same level of enlightenment as Ivan. This psychological alienation is another reminder of Ivan's separation from others. He matured as he faced his mortality, and his growth placed a barrier between him and his friends. Gregor is psychologically alienated because although he is an insect, he still has the thought process of a human being. This dichotomy proves a difficult shift in Gregor's psychological well-being. He is torn between the hope of regaining his human form and his comfort as a monstrous insect. A scene that marks his psychological alienation occurs when his sister and mother attempt to move the furniture out of the room to make it easier for Gregor to move around. Despite the advantages of having less furniture to hinder his movements, Gregor's desire to keep his room as it was when he was human is irresistible: "without doubt he would be free to crawl unhindered through all the directions, but only at the cost of rapid travel.” and completely forgetting his human past” (Kafka 103). Another example of psychological alienation occurs during Gregor's death. At this point in the story, the reader must realize everything that has happened to Gregor: not only has his physical form been irrevocably altered, but his place as guardian of the house and his place in society has been altered. Gregor's last thoughts before his death demonstrate the psychological alienation he feels. He no longer cares about his own well-being, but that of his family and "his own opinion that he must disappear was even firmer than that of his sister" (Kafka122). This psychological alienation forces Gregor to change his ideas about his own importance. Both authors reveal that their main characters are also emotionally distant from others. For example, Ivan's emotions are most often hidden from those around him. Several times in the text, Tolstoy suggests to the reader that Ivan desires to establish an emotional connection with those around him, but that he is.