The choice is unavoidable and inevitable for everyone who exists or has ever existed. At a crossroads, a decision is always made, even if no action is taken. Quite paradoxically, even making no decision is moving in the direction of a choice, still making a statement. It is around this ideology of constant choice that the philosophical theory of existentialism exists. It states that each individual lives in the universe as a being with free will, capable of making their own decisions and actions. And that it is through these self-determined choices and actions that each individual distinguishes himself from all other members of the population while defining himself. The existentialist theme presents itself in three divergent ways in the following works: Hunger, The Metamorphosis and The Stranger. In each of these compositions, the protagonist is physically and mentally alienated from society, possesses a desire for something he never obtained, and dies surrounded by an emptiness that endures beyond his death and applies to others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Hunger, Bobby Sands experiences mental and physical alienation from his surroundings due to his hunger strike and subsequent placement in a hospital ward. While imprisonment itself creates a separation between inmates and society, Sands feels even more isolated even from other prisoners when he shows up as the first to participate in a hunger strike. Sands' hunger strike alienates him from all non-participating prisoners; the tremendous mental strength needed to overcome one's hunger creates alienation from other prisoners, some of whom are not involved in the hunger strike. In addition to the insanity he experiences, Sands is also physically separated from the other prisoners when his hunger strike intensifies and he is transported to the infirmary. While Sands spent the rest of his life in the prison infirmary, continuing his hunger strike and resisting the temptation of three meals a day, he was physically distanced from other prisoners. From the start of his hunger strike until his death, Sands experienced increasing mental and physical alienation from the other prisoners. Similarly, in The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa experiences mental and physical alienation from those around him when he wakes up one day in the form of an insect and is then forced to become a prisoner in his room. Samsa's transition to an insect brings her distinct mental differences from those around her, separating Samsa from her family. For example, he feels a liberating effect by adhering to the walls and ceiling of his room: “He particularly liked hanging from the ceiling; it was completely different from lying on the ground; we could breathe more freely; and in the almost happy distraction that Gregor felt up there, it might happen, to his own surprise, that he would let go and drop to the ground” (30). He begins to adapt to the feelings and emotions of an insect, continually distancing himself from his family. Additionally, he is physically imprisoned in his room due to his family's disgust and the differences in his physical appearance. The family who at one time loved and cared for him cannot hide their true feelings of hatred towards him, banishing him to their room. It is clear to the reader that any territory outside Samsa's home is now forbidden to him through his father's reaction when he dares to leave his home: "He only had the fixed idea that Gregor had to return to his roomas quickly as possible (…) when from behind, his father gave him a strong push, which was truly his salvation, and bleeding profusely, he flew far into his room” (18-19). Hunger and metamorphosis encompass the physical imprisonment of the protagonist. Samsa explicitly reflects on his isolation by using the word "imprisonment", after hearing new financial news discussed at a family meeting, he hears from his room: "These explanations from his father were in some way the first good news that Gregor had been hearing since his imprisonment” (25). Mentally he is isolated because of abnormal thoughts and feelings. Physically, his horrible appearance is unbearable for those around him, which pushes his family to banish him to his room. Although Meursault in The Stranger also feels physical and mental alienation, there are some differences between him and Samsa or Sands. Meursault's situation differs in that his isolation only becomes evident to him when he is presented before a jury. He doesn't recognize anything wrong with the way he deals with his mother's death and doesn't recognize how inhumane he is. It is established in The Stranger that Meursault does exactly what he wants, unaffected by thoughts or predetermined normalities set by society. An example of this is demonstrated when the idea of ​​bread is rejected in one's mind because the effort of going to the store is not worth the result: "I made myself some eggs and ate them out of the pan, without bread because I didn't have any left and I didn't want to go down and buy some” (21). This ongoing behavior, marked by mild interest and little enthusiasm, continues throughout his life preceding his court date. He considers his case to be something important. The gravity of taking another man's life does not affect him and he treats the matter as if it were an everyday occurrence. He becomes aware of his physical isolation from society after the Arab's murder, when he is placed in front of a group of his peers in the courtroom. Until now, Meursault ignores the importance of himself. For once he is isolated from a group and it is a feeling that is foreign to him: “I think that at the beginning I didn't realize that all these people were rushing to see me. Usually people didn't pay much attention to me. It took me a while to realize that I was the cause of all this turmoil” (83). In addition to being physically isolated during his trial, Meursault is mentally trapped alone in his cell, before his execution. A free man's lingering thoughts swirl through his head after he enters prison. It is at the moment when he feels these aspirations for freedom that he is truly alienated from society: “For example, I suddenly wanted to be on a beach and walk down to the water. Imagining the sound of the first waves beneath my feet, my body entering the water and the feeling of relief this would give me, I suddenly felt how enclosed I was by the walls of my cell. (76). Meursault's alienation mirrors that of Samsa and Sands through the confined walls of the imprisonment in which he resides, but differs mentally in that Meursault does not realize his alienation until it presents itself unequivocally to him in the courtroom. death is the constant desire for an Ireland free from the United Kingdom. This constant thirst for political liberation is the driving force that drives Sands to commit suicide in such an inhumane manner. After Sands' death, some demands were met. However, the hopelessness of the situation is that Sands never knows freedom or the satisfaction of triumph. He was constantly striving for something beyond his reach and it took hisdeath and that of seven other people for the government to intervene. During his lifetime, he never achieved his goals. He was only fighting for something he couldn't get. This longing for something that will never be realized is similarly manifested in The Metamorphosis through Samsa's fantasies of leading a normal life again. He longs for his body to return to the way it was before bed, an impossible demand after his transformation. An example of Samsa's determination to return his life to its normal state is his dismissal of the entire situation upon his first awakening. He focuses solely on his arrival at his workplace, as if it were a simple weekday: “The next train leaves at seven; to get there he would have to rush like crazy, and the sample line was not yet full, and he himself did not feel particularly fresh and ready to walk around” (5). Furthermore, throughout the novella, Samsa maintains this conscious effort to stay alive, in the hope of a modification that would make him human again. He does not give in to the idea that he should move away from the family even when his previously loyal sister finally feels that the family should rid itself of his presence. His desire to continue living and become human again is an unrealistic goal and without his permission, he is torn from the world: "Then, without his consent, his head sank to the ground, and from his nostrils flowed his last faint breath. » (51). Throughout the short story, Samsa strives for a goal he can never achieve. While those around him begin to consider him a member of the family, this thirst for change does not weaken. Meursault faces the constant challenge of achieving a feeling he has never known: love. Following the death of his mother, he does not show the symptoms of a normal grieving man. Rather than participating in the five stages of grief, he takes the plunge and immediately accepts what has happened. He didn't really love his mother, as he would have been depressed or grieving. His lack of love is also evident in the little attention he pays to the details of his own mother's death, even without being sure of the exact day of her death: “Mom died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know” (3). Additionally, he constantly convinces himself that he and his mother have a close relationship, through his continued use of the word Mom, a childish synonym for Mother. He tries to love his mother, but he can't or won't feel that love. He makes slight attempts to be close to mom and maintain a romantic relationship, but he feels nothing and just moves. His search for love continues after the death of his mother when he flirts with Marie: “I asked her if she wanted to go to the cinema that evening. She laughed again and told me there was a Fernandel film she would like to see” (20). His sudden jump between his recently deceased mother and a new young woman is part of his never-ending attempt to find love. He feels no real connection between the two individuals. Mom dies and he goes to find someone to replace her; but still, he can't find anyone he loves. He and Marie experience couple gestures, but he does not feel romantic attraction towards Marie: “So she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way as last time, that it didn't mean anything but that I probably didn't like him” (41). He first tries to love his mother. When he died, he turned to Marie. He continually searches for a love he will never find. Sands surrounds himself with the continued pain of starvation throughout the last sixty-six days of his life, an emptiness within himself. However, he is also constantly surrounded by his strong feelings towards theUnited Kingdom and Ireland. A void is created for Bobby Sands and his colleagues in the Irish Republican Army because of their strong feelings between the separation of Ireland and the United Kingdom. It seems inevitable and they feel they have a responsibility to influence the outcome of the situation. Thinking about the future of Ireland, Sands patiently awaits his death in a state of extreme hunger. He dies of starvation while surrounded not only by the emptiness of hunger, but also by the lack of political freedom, which continues without him until seven others have committed suicide. Just like in Sands, Samsa is surrounded by two voids. Although he has the void of his metamorphosis, he is also trapped in another void, established before his first awakening. Like an insect. His responsibility to provide for his family from a young age in order to pay off the debt to his father when he should be getting married and starting his own family is a void that seems endless. It becomes clear to the reader that he hates his career as a traveling salesman, working only because of the obligation he feels to provide for his family: "If I had not held back for the sake of my parents, I would have stopped a long time ago. , I would have walked up to the boss and said my article from the bottom of my heart (...) Well, I haven't completely lost hope; Once I raise the money to repay my parents' debt to him - it will probably take another five or six years - I will do it without fail” (4). Gregor is relieved of this duty by his metamorphosis, the death of his human being and the birth of a different animal. It is through this process of death that he escapes the void that his parents created for him. However, although Gregor has died, his sister, Grete, will soon be sucked into the void of her parents' expectations. This is demonstrated through the dark and darkly ironic ending, after Gregor's death: "While they were speaking in this vein, it came almost simultaneously to the minds of Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, as they saw their girl becoming more and more lively, that lately, in spite of all the troubles which had made her cheeks turn pale, she had become a beautiful, well-made girl. Becoming more silent and communicating almost unconsciously through looks, they thought that it would soon be time, too, to find her a good husband” (55). The void continues after Gregor's death as Mr. and Mrs. Samsa consider what expectations to set for their next child, Grete. Finally, in The Stranger, Meursault finds himself lost in the emptiness of life. He moves aimlessly, without interest in what the world has to offer. He only participates in a small number of activities and does not feel obligated to go above and beyond in any way. If he doesn't feel the desire or need to do something, he simply won't do it. He socializes with friends and is romantically involved with Marie, but he does not love her. Meursault feels unimportant to the world, someone who will soon disappear and leave without a trace. He floats in the void of life, waiting for it to end. He is certain that his death will come and his pessimistic outlook on life is reflected in his lack of feelings when something as important as his mother's death occurs: "Nothing, nothing mattered, and I knew why (...) Throughout the absurd life I had lived, a dark wind had risen towards me from somewhere deep in my future, over the years to come, and as 'it passed, this wind destroyed everything that was offered to me at that moment, in years no more real than those I was leaving' (121). It is for this reason that he never exceeds his goals and is merely mildly interested in most things. He gets offended when someone, like the chaplain,.