A Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Modernism on ‎Alienation and Existential Challenges in Dystopian   Literature: Kafka and Huxley

Mohamadzamani, Farideh; Rahimipoor, Saeid

doi:10.22081/jpt.2025.71279.2211

A Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Modernism on ‎Alienation and Existential Challenges in Dystopian Literature: Kafka and Huxley

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Theology Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, ‎Iran (Corresponding Author).‎

² Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Farhangian University, Ilam, Tehran, Iran

10.22081/jpt.2025.71279.2211

Abstract

Literature has always served as a platform for exploring human identity and existential issues. This research employs a comparative approach to examine the similarities and differences between Franz Kafka's novel The Metamorphosis and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. The study analyzes the methods used to represent the existential challenges of modern humans and investigates the narrative and conceptual factors at play in both works. It also dissects the social and philosophical themes within these texts, highlighting the shared concerns of the authors regarding social issues and the impacts of modernism. The findings of this analysis show that the authors, through characterization and symbolic narratives, have depicted the evolution of internal bureaucracy into the comprehensive totalitarian systems that are a product of global modernism. Beyond their focus on alienation, social isolation, and the impact of technology, these works have provided a framework for a better understanding and mitigation of the existential challenges faced by modern individuals. The use of a comparative approach in this analysis has enabled a deeper examination of philosophical and social themes and a better understanding of the effects of modernism on human identity.

Keywords