Franz Kafka's character, Gregor Samsa, and TS Eliot's orator, J. Alfred Prufrock, are perhaps two of the loneliest characters of literature. Both men lead lives of isolation, loneliness, and missed opportunities, and both die knowing that they have let their lives slip through their fingers, like sand slipping through the neck of an hourglass. As F. Scott Fitzgerald so eloquently said, “the loneliest moment in someone's life is when they watch their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare into space.” Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis and T. S. Eliot's “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” are both outstanding examples of these moments of solitude. Both authors use characterization, imagery, and atmosphere to convey the dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment in the lives and deaths of both Samsa and Prufrock. Eliot and Kafka characterize their respective characters as having a negative self-image, a previous lack of success, and as being fundamentally alone. Prufrock considers himself undesirable, and his self-image seems to worsen with age. Although Prufrock soon gets a chance to make something of his life, he sits in a room, presumably one in which there is an exhibition of works of art, and "women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo" (ll. 13-14) . Prufrock goes unnoticed next to what could be Michelangelo's beautiful works. Above all, it can be assumed that he feels inadequate next to the Statue of David, a sculpture for which Michelangelo is famous. As time passes, his feelings of inadequacy increase as he begins to fear what others will think of his aged appearance, because “They will say, 'How thinning his hair is!'” and “They will say, 'But how does it look? thinning his hair!'” his arms and legs are thin!'” (ll. 41, 44). Prufrock's lack of self-confidence... middle of the card... demonstrative of Prufrock's desire for women; even though he is inside with them, he still lingers hesitantly like the fog. This is later reinforced by Prufrock stating that he "went at dusk...and watched the smoke rising from the pipes / Of lonely men in shirtsleeves, leaning out of the windows" (ll.70-73). Both Prufrock and Samsa want things they can't have, because they're afraid to take risks. Eliot and Kafka also use images of insects, although for different purposes. Eliot's use of insects portrays Prufrock as an insect “pinned and wriggling on the wall” observed as an object of study (l.58). This is indicative of Prufrock's anxiety and neurosis as he feels judged by everyone he meets, especially women. Kafka's use of insect imagery is prevalent throughout the tale, as Samsa has transformed into a giant insect.