1. EXISTENTIALISM
A philosophical movement in the 19th and 20th centuries

2. Noted Existentialists:
Soren Kierkegaard ( )
Friedrich Nietzsche ( )
Martin Heidegger ( )
Jean-Paul Sartre ( )
Simone de Beauvoir ( )
AND Franz Kafka ( )

3. Important Principles:
Emphasizes human experience (at each moment)
Human beings are “thrown” or “abandoned” in the world
There is no justification for our existence
There is no predetermined direction for our lives
Humans must set their own values
If God exists (which many Existentialists deny) we are too distant for it to make a difference
Despair and suffering are a part of life
The result: There is no purpose or meaning to life

4. Alienation: We are alienated from ourselves
(body, emotions/intuitions, spirit, experiences)
We are alienated from others
(We objectify others and they us)
We are alienated from the world
(surroundings, nature, materialism)

5. Application to Metamorphosis
Destiny is chosen
Individualism leads to personal anxiety (angst)
The universe is indifferent and hostile to humans
Isolation, anxiety, and despair are a part of life
Freedom of choice exists, but so do consequences

6. As we read: Keep track of events that exemplify existentialism.
Be prepared to answer this question:
Why is Metamorphosis considered an existential text?