In comparing "The Metamorphosis" and "Groundhog Day," my goal is to break down the existential despair that each of the main characters face and how it plays out. Showing the similarities, the differences and ultimately the outcome will also show how these characters used free will in the most radical situations. Lastly I will point out how it changed their personalities, behaviors and the coarse of their lives. First lets explore the basics of our characters existential despair. There is Gregor, a worn down salesman living a life seemingly to serve others; mainly his family. It seems as though he is already in despair even before this transformation into a giant bug. He may not have recognized it, or if he did he just set it aside and kept the routine going. On the other hand there is Phil, he seems to be the opposite. He is self-centered and living a life that doesn’t really concern others. Once he awakes in his situation, he wants to do something about it. He recognizes this unbelievable situation and pushes the boundaries of his routine. If we compare Gregor’s situation to Phil's in "Groundhog Day," they at first seem very similar. Each day, Phil awakens to do the same thing, report the news on this event and please his audience. One major difference in the two characters is their duties in life. While Gregor sacrifices for his family, Phil seems to come into his story a pretty selfish, egotistical person. His despair may come from being an average weatherman from a third rate city, but he thinks of him self as having a higher stature then he actually does. Once put into the situation of repeating the same day over and over he seems to lose him self for a moment. Much more than Gregor, Phil get scared, he rebels against the day and pretty quickly starts to learn lessons. Phil does not always accept each day and just go about his duties. He uses his free will to alter his surroundings. This leads me to my next topic: how th