Absurdity in Literary Works

Europe had been plagued with waves of mass destruction and despair during the 20th century as it had faced the onslaught of two consecutive wars. Millions had suffered; families were torn apart, wives had been widowed, the list can go on and on. Social unrest and chaos can be witnessed through the works of 20th Century Literature as many of them discuss the horrid conditions people had to adapt to in order to survive. Much like literature, 20th Century fashion had to have been altered to fit to the changing times.

The works of The Stranger, The Metamorphosis, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch, written, respectively, by Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, and Alexander Solzhenistyn, explore the depths of the absurdity of life and to explore the practicalities of life. Similarly, clothing manufacturers had to alter the practicalities of clothing so as to fit the pressing concerns of wartime life. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka thrusts us into the absurd scene where the protagonist, Gregor, wakes up to find that he has metamorphosed into an insect.

The book goes into discuss Gregor’s isolation from his family and how easily he is discarded by his family due to his debilitating state as an insect. As a result of Gregor’s state, his father now had to accommodate as the money maker within the family. Gregor’s father at many points in the book sleeping on the couch in his uniform. At first the uniform appears to be clean and dignified but is later seen as dirty with grease spots on it.

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Gregor’s father’s state of readiness to work is reflected in wartime fashion as civilian clothes had been altered for people to be safe in case of an attack. Examples from this can be seen through the development of a handbag with a gas mask compartment, as well luminous accessories that would make civilians more visible to each other during blackouts (Clouting, Mason).

As Kafka depicts Gregor’s transformation to an insect, he discusses the isolation he experiences as his role changes from the primary caretaker to that of an outcast. Gregor’s alienation and the family’s adaptation to life without him closely relates to the shifts in 20th century fashion, as certain styles had to be dropped in favor of more practical ones. The Stranger discusses Camus’s view of the absurd through the eyes of Meursault, the protagonist from Algiers. He is introduced as emotionally incapable and socially unaware as the nature of his personality is revealed through his reaction to his mother’s death. He is unbothered by her death, unable to recall if she had died today or yesterday. Meursault’s ability to maintain the absurd sense of stability in his life can be compared to the impact of the world wars on style in the 20th century as the austere restrictions on certain goods did not harm the existence of high fashion (Hearon). New innovations allowed fashion to develop, mainly in the area of synthetic materials used for daily life and fashion (Mason, 2011). In the face of changing times, Camus introduces the absurdness of Meursault’s indifference to his stark surroundings and his attempts. to seek the meaning of life. Similarly, the impedance of wartime did not halt the process of creative design, commercial opportunism, or fashionable trends on the British home front (Clouting).

In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch, the book discusses the accounts of a man who is incarcerated in a Soviet prison camp. The book recounts the Shukhov’s struggle to survive another day in the labor camp which is enforced under Stalin’s forced regime. As we read on, Shukhov is described as a man of dignity; he has not let his character corrode despite facing the intense conditions within the camp. His determination to retain his sense of self and his resourcefulness can be seen through his lost boots. When Shukhov is ordered to wash the floors in the guardroom, he recalls when he had made shoes from ropes and boots from old tires. Though he remarks his own resourcefulness, he is saddened by the memory as many of his shoes had to be destroyed.

Clothing manufacturers also had to adapt to limitations in resources by giving up staples such as silk and rubber (2011). In response to this, people had to substitute implement different styles to fit the austerity restrictions of the time. Solzhenitsyn is able to capture the remarkable determination of a prisoner’s ability to maintain his humanity in the gulags through his subtle actions. In the same way, people of the 20th century are able to retain a sense of their past by adjusting to the the restrictions placed on them and adapting different styles (2011). All in all, both writers and clothing manufacturers attempted to overcome the restrictions and absurdities of the turbulent times in the 20th century. In retrospect, the century was filled with numerous accounts of terror and despair that, despite the tragic events, allowed for humanity to adapt and grow from the wretched experience. Clouting, Laura, and Amanda Mason. “How Clothes Rationing Affected Fashion In The Second World War.” How Clothes Rationing Affected Fashion In The Second World War.

1. Imperial War Museums. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
2. Hearon, Liza. “Women’s Clothing.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company.Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
3. Mason, Meghann, “The impact of World War II on women’s fashion in the United States and Britain” (2011). UNLV Theses/ Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 1390.