Hunger Artist Parable

Religious and Artistic Parable The author of the religious parable titled, “The Hunger Artist” parallels the artist’s life to that of Jesus Christ. The artist dresses in simple attire similar to that of a priest, which marks him as a spiritual and righteous man. Additionally, he travels to different cities and performs miracles just as Jesus did. Both the hunger artist and Jesus Christ deaths were publicly displayed; instigated by the very people they helped. Kafka’s story could also be interpreted to reflect on the plight of an artist in the modern world. The artist clearly has a vision that revolves around him not eating for more than forty days in order to beat his record. However, his vision of artistic excellence and transcendence is ignored and rejected by the public.
Reasons behind Selecting the Hunger Artist Kafka may have chosen his subject due to the particular theme he was trying to highlight. The artist shows endurance through challenging times and is able to survive on his own strong will rather than on food. Kafka chose him as he wanted to reflect on the difference between spirituality and the physical nature of human
beings. The hunger artist chose to abandon a crucial aspect of life (feeding) so as to establish his mark in the society. It is also revealed that he did not like to eat, a concept that made it easier for him to venture into this practice. He wanted people to notice him based on his accomplishments but the society did not find his art pleasant. Consequently, people stopped watching him, and even being fascinated by his skill.
Creation of a Dream-like Effect The author succeeds in achieving this effect, despite the dry and factual prose through the use of symbolism and motifs.
While the cage functions as a physical restrain to guarantee that the artist does not eat, it is also a symbol of his separation from the society. He also portrays him to be erratic and unpredictable, which helps in understanding the difference he felt between him and the rest of the society. The panther that replaced the hunger artist is also a crucial symbol of opposition against the artist’s way of life. Evidently, it is more focused on the physical part of living as shown through its feeding habits and its power as described by the author. The clock also relates to the artist’s lifetime. The artist believes that his work would last forever, although the clock is present to remind him of the reality of
death.
The Need for an Audience The hunger artist feels that he needs an audience to prove that he is not cheating. He turns an extremely private and spiritual matter into a societal spectacle in order for people to know of his greatness. Before having an audience, the artist was as common as every other individual. Yet, through the spectacle, he becomes real to the society. It is ironic, nevertheless, that he was not able to break his record after becoming famous since people did not want to see him fasting for more than forty days. He finally managed to break his record while in the circus although there was no one to remark on his greatness or show support. Consequently, his efforts turned out to be futile.