Man's struggle against the absurd emerges in Ivan Ilych's death, as he contemplates the meaning of his life. Psychological alienation results as Ivan begins to doubt his existence. Nabokov explains, "Egotism, falsity, hypocrisy, and above all automatism are the most important moments of life" (Nabokov 239). Nature, by means of death, removes all of the things to which Ivan has become accustomed. He is dying and that is all that matters. As he asks himself if he lived his life the right way, he begins to feel compassion for others. Here we see how Ivan must face the fact that the things he believed in and lived for were worthless. The absurdity is that the man had to die in order to realize certain truths about his life. The Metamorphosis," and "The Death of Ivan Ilych," are stories that demonstrate man's psychological and spiritual struggles through absurd experiences. By capturing the absurdity of circumstances, both authors force us to think about the issues that these characters face. Their characters become more real to us as we see them through absurd situations. Gregor is a bug and the insensitivity of others reinforces the absurdity...

Ivan realizes the absurdity of living a useless life on his deathbed. Each author proves his point about real situations and problems involving life through absurd circumstances. In this sense, through absurd lenses, we are allowed us to see the facts clearly.
Works Cited

Goldfarb, Sheldon. "Critical Essay on 'The Metamorphosis.' Short Stories for Students. 2001. GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed March 10, 2009. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com

Hibbard, John. "The Metamorphosis: Overview." Reference Guide to World Literature. 2nd ed. 1995. GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed March 10, 2009. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com

Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction R.V. Cassill, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1981. pp. 740-78.

Tolstoy, Leo. "The Death of Ivan Ilych." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction R.V. Cassill, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1981.

Nabokov, Vladimir. Lectures on Russian Literature. New york: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers. 1981.