Critical Analysis of A Hunger Artist
Franz Kafka’s A Hunger Artist is a short story first published in 1922 as a part of the periodical Die Neue Rundschau. It follows the story of a hunger artist who performs by fasting for forty days. He is locked up in a straw-lined cage and people from all over town avidly watches him while some visitors monitor him to make sure that he does not secretly eat food when no one is watching. But while the artist finds not eating fairly easy, he is annoyed and dissatisfied because the audience suspects him of cheating. Over the years, the art of fasting became unpopular as people became more interested in newer acts. Soon enough, the artist finds himself struggling to regain the admiration and popularity that he had always longed for. Within the narrative, the author explores the familiar themes of isolation and pride.
One of the most prominent themes of the story is that of isolation. The hunger artist is presented as someone, because of the cage is in a way isolated from the rest of the society. The physical separation from everyone else has in turn caused him to become misunderstood. This sense of being misunderstood is perhaps what the author is trying to communicate to his readers. The troubled relationship between the artist and his audience is best expressed when the narrator explains:
“When… some leisurely passer-by stopped… and spoke of cheating, that was in its way the stupidest lie ever invented by indifference and inborn malice, since it was not the hunger artist who was cheating, he was working honestly, but the world was cheating him of his reward” (Kafka 20).
This passage indicates how his physical isolation from people has led many to believe that he is cheating when in fact, he is working hard on his performance. The “inborn malice” is representative of the heartless dismissal of the audience towards the suffering experienced by the artist. More than this, the audience’s complete disregard of his sacrifice only shows that they are unable to identify and see the world from the point of view of the hunger artist. This means that the suspicion as well as the minimal attention given to the artist only indicates that he is not only physically isolated from people, but he is also emotionally and socially separated from them (Bloom 101).
Another important theme in this story is that pride. In the story, the author portrayed the artist has having a poor relationship with his audience. This is mainly because a number of them suspects of him cheating which caused his pride and ego to be hurt. He uses this pride to further improve his performance; and yet this same pride ultimately hinders him from reaching his goals. A main reason behind this, is that the very ego and pride that he is trying to protect also cuts him off from truly connecting with the crowd. He displays his protruding ribcage and famished look as if it was a badge of honor. This however, turns off many people. In the same way, his starved body repulses many of his audience. In the end, it is also his sense of ego and pride that isolated him both from getting his goals and being admired by the audience (Berman 84).
Based on the points provided, it can be concluded that the author mainly used the themes of pride and isolation which are both embodied by the main character himself. But what is most interesting about these themes is that both are interconnected with one another. This is because it is the pride of the artist that ultimately caused him to become isolated from the audience that he wants to impress.
Works Cited
Berman, J. Diaries to an English professor. MA: UMP, 1994
Bloom, H. The Trickster. NY: Infobase Publishing, 2010
Kafka, F. A Hunger Artist. NY: Createspace Independent, 2013