One thing that Shusaku Endo's Silence and Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis have in common is the aftertaste they leave on the reader's intellectual palate. Unlike most authors, Endo and Kafka refuse to please readers with a satisfying happy ending, instead opting for a less predictable but more dramatic ending. Despite the innocence of the central characters, both stories reach their climax in the downfall of these characters: Rodrigues ends up a prisoner and apostate, while Gregor dies alone in his room without ever regaining his humanity. In both books, the powerful but unhappy ending is balanced by a note of hope that the character's downfall contributed to a happy ending in another place and time. The addition of hope is important to emphasize the moral message of each story, which lies in how the central characters manage to find gratification in their defeat. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The transformations of the characters in each work culminate in their respective downfalls, which lead to other positive repercussions for themselves. In Silence, Rodrigues' fall is epitomized in his new identity as an apostate and prisoner. However, the positive repercussion of Rodrigues' apostasy is his amplified understanding of God's character. As he becomes aware of his spiritual filthiness, Rodrigues becomes increasingly grateful for God's forgiveness and His presence as the only remaining comfort in his life . Rodrigues realizes the presence of God who has been with Him all along, who told him that “it was to be trampled upon by men that I was born into this world. It is to share the pain of men that I have carried my cross" (171). His is a God who comes down to be condemned so that his people do not have to be condemned for the sins they commit in their weak and limited flesh. This alternative side of the power struggle is emphasized when Inoue confidently reestablishes his victory over Christianity, which Rodrigues objects to, saying, “No, no. […] My struggle was with Christianity in my heart” (187). Therefore, Endo implies that although Rodrigues' downfall is evident in his power struggle against the Japanese, in a more positive light, he has won the struggle of faith in his heart through strengthening his relationship with God. In La Metamorphosis, Gregor's downfall lies in his increasing isolation from humanity and his ultimate death. On the other hand, Gregor manages to escape his existentialist boredom through death. This is evident from the description of Gregor's dying thoughts. The narrator describes: He remembered his family with deep feeling and love. [...] He remained in this state of empty and peaceful reflection until the clock struck three in the morning. [...] Then without wanting it, [...] his last breath weakly came out of his nostrils. (85)This passage is in stark contrast to the feelings expressed in the rest of the book, such as her frustration at having to get out of bed in the morning or her trepidation over Mr. Samsa's increasingly negative feelings. For the first time he feels calm and happy. So, alternatively, the positive consequence of Gregor's death is his own victory over the stagnation of life. The fall of the characters also brings positive consequences for the people around them. In Silence, although Rodrigues will forever be scandalized and imprisoned as an apostate, he passes on his newfound knowledge about salvation to Kichijiro. He consoles Kichijiro's weakness by saying: There are neither strong nor weak. Can anyone say that the weak do not suffer more than the strong?[...] Since there is no one else in this country now who can hear your confession, I will. […] Go in peace! (191) Rodrigues eases Kichijiro's burden by indirectly noting the lesson he himself learned through his apostasy: that in their suffering God himself had suffered before them and with them. In the end, Kichijiro goes out into the world with the hope that he can learn from Rodrigues' mistakes and lead a faithful life. Similarly, in The Metamorphosis, despite the melancholy of Gregor's death, that very event allows the Samsa family to move forward towards their bright future. Before that, Gregor sacrifices his time and efforts for his family by being the breadwinner. However, through his metamorphosis, that sacrifice is amplified. Without Gregor's financial support, the family is forced to take on jobs, which turns out to be a good idea. Gregor's death is the catalyst that allows the family not to remain caged in their comfortable nest, but to continue moving towards a brighter future. The narrator describes how they talked “about future prospects, and found that on closer observation these were not bad at all” (89). This fact is something they would never risk or otherwise discover unless Gregor's metamorphosis occurred to free them. The hope of the situation is particularly highlighted through Grete; the narrator especially describes how “the daughter first rose up and stretched out her young body” (90). Kafka sets the scene for Gregor's death by informing readers that it allowed these positive changes to occur. The hope that arises after the fall of the characters is explored by the authors through spiritual and natural settings. In both books, the setting changes during the falling action and denouement of the plot. In Silence, Rodrigues drinks in the atmosphere of Japan outside his window as he sits in captivity. The passage describing this scene does so with severe melancholy: His only consolation was to lean against the window and watch the people come and go. In the morning women passed by with boxes of vegetables on their heads. [...] In the evening, along the slope, the bonzes passed and rang their bells. He stared at this scenery of Japan, drinking in every detail. (174)This passage describes the bucolic, peaceful scenery enjoyed by the Japanese, including the Japanese in the pit whom Rodrigues saved by apostatizing. Ironically, Rodrigues himself cannot participate in such beauty and is confined to his prison. However, this contrast also serves to highlight the balance between the desperation of Rodrigues' situation and the hope that comes from his sacrifice. Similarly, in The Metamorphosis after Gregor's death, the setting of the book changes dramatically. It becomes lighter and more peaceful, as can be seen in the family's serenity as they hugged each other on the morning of Gregor's death, or how “the car in which they were sitting alone was totally engulfed in the warm sun” (89). as they talked to each other about their future. The hopefulness of the situation of the other characters such as Kichijiro and the Samsa family is saturated in contrast to the desperation of the central characters. Therefore, the two stark images enhance and deepen the balance between despondency and optimism. The balance created by the bittersweet endings of these books is significant because it allows the authors to insert a moral message of hope that balances the bleakness of the endings. The outcomes of conflicts in stories determine the moral messages conveyed to readers. Since in both cases the outcome of the conflict is the disappearance of the central character, both Endo and Kafka would have difficulty sending positive messages in negative situations. Therefore, the episodes.