The theme of the importance of human self-worth and actualization is prevalent throughout the story. The presence of animals is also an intriguing element that surfaces throughout the narrative. At certain points, the circus animals are regarded as superior to the hunger artist in the eyes of the spectators, and at the end the panther is described as being “clearly refreshing to see this wild animal prowling around in this cage, which had been dreary for such a long time.” Is Kafka trying to say that the hunger artist is sub-human, lower than even an animal on the scale of importance? Or is this merely a commentary about human nature and the cruelty and indifference shown by the spectators at the zoo, who only care about their own need for entertainment to be satisfied, at the expense of their fellow human being? Support your argument with evidence from the story.
After the artist dies, the circus workers put a young panther in his cage. Why does Kafka include and end with this detail? What comparisons/contrasts can be made between the artist and the panther?
In what ways does Kafka make the hunger artist an “artist?” Compare the Fangs’ art with the art of the hunger artist. How are they similar? How are they different? What would each of the fangs think of a hunger artist? Which of the two is “art?”
Reread the bottom of page 481 and the top of page 482. What does the artist mean when he says “I couldn’t find the food I liked?” Does the idea that he starved himself because he could not find what he wanted change the meaning of his fasting? Why or why not? Support your answer with quotes from the text.
1.)He wanted to prove what he was doing. He didn't like being doubted in the dark, he preferred to be in the spotlight so everyone would understand the difficulty of his struggled
ReplyDelete2.)His self worth gradually declines, and eventually his act is no longer valued symbolized by his exhibition with animals.
3.) The panther represents a lot of life and its very rambunctious. It is hungry and full of life, a stark contrast to the hunger artist.
4.) He performs for people and atleast tries to evoke an emotional response. The fangs never told people what they were doing, but the hunger artist made his display very clear.
5.)It does change the meaning of the fasting, he wasn't really making a statement as so much just living his life.
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ReplyDeleteGroup 3 Part 1
ReplyDelete1. Light may refer to him getting the feeling of accomplishment after receiving the attention of the audience. When he tells the audience not to admire him, he falls out of the light and ends up losing his life. He was happiest in the morning which may signify the importance of light to him. Morning times are bright and those were his happiest times.
2. First, the fact that the hunger artist was even in the circus and in a cage is proof that Kafka is trying to say that the hunger artist is subhuman. At the time when this was written, circuses included humans, the so-called “freaks” of society. Those people, which includes the hunger artist, were seen as sub-human. The hunger artist viewed his profession as honorable and there was honor behind professional fasting, but there was a decline in the interest in it. The hunger artist is a tortured artist, dying for his passion. His fasting is a spectacle, albeit one that is losing interest. He acknowledges that he is worthless when the crowds interest wanes, even though the crowd already knew he was worthless because he was in the cage and they were not. The cage could represent his separation from society- his own sub-humanness. The hunger artist died for his passion-fasting- even though he claims that he only fasted because he couldn’t find food he liked. Some people believe what separates humans from animals is our ability to resist animal impulses, in which case the hunger artist would be more human than all the spectators by resisting his natural inclination to eat. This view would make him being in a cage and being treated like an animal very ironic.
3. Kafka includes this detail to show the difference between the hunger artist’s despair of life and the panther’s enthusiasm for life. The hunger artist did not seem to live life to its fullest. He was always denying himself food and, therefore, never had energy and so couldn’t move much or do much, he was just kind of there. Whereas the panther is always moving and eating and doing something. People like the panther better than the hunger artist because they can see its “joy of life” which the hunger artist never seemed to have, even while fasting, which appeared to be his favorite hobby.
1. The artist is in his full artistic glory during the daytime. He feels a connection with his audience when they are viewing him in the light. In the dark, he is neglected by everyone. Event the skeptics who believe that he is a fraud don’t care enough about him to really keep watch on him (Page 477). They play cards and even try to sneak him food to eat. This theme reveals that the artist fasts in hopes of fulfilling his need for connection with the audience. They never understand his work or why he is fasting and this rift between the artist and the audience leads him to a dark and lonely place.
ReplyDelete2. Kafka is not trying to call the artist “sub-human” or lower than the animals. Instead, he is commenting on the fickle nature of the audience. They will never be fully satisfied and entertained by the artist’s exhibit. He can never count on the spectators to be loyal. Because of this, Kafka reveals that it is pointless to live to please or entertain other people. Kafka states this when he says that “during these last decades, the interest in professional fasting has markedly diminished.”
4.In the hunger artist’s case, being an artist means cutting oneself off from the world, a conclusion reflected in the hunger artist’s conscious choice to sequester himself in a cage. This separation of hunger artist and spectator, displays the spiritual separation of the individual artistic ego and public will. Set apart from others, only the hunger artist realizes the importance of his ambitions and accomplishments, and only he knows that he is not cheating. The further the hunger artist goes in pursuit of perfection, as he does in the circus, the further away he moves from the understanding of the people for whom he performs. The artist will always be separated from society because the qualities that distinguish him as an “artist” and are worth preserving are the ones that ensure he will never be understood.
In comparison to the Family Fang, Caleb & Camille also seemed to be separated from society because the qualities that distinguished them as “artists” were the ones that ensured they would not be understood.
The hunger artist’s fierce pride in his art enables him to improve his fasting, it ultimately stops him from reaching his goals because it hurts his public appeal and connection to others.
His starved body—which is the manifestation of his pride—is the thing that ensures he will never be loved and admired by the public.
In comparison to the Family Fang, Caleb & Camille’s form of art also hurt their public appeal and connection to others (even their own children). They are willing to go out of their way - to any extent, in order to achieve their “art”. Their pride in their artistic actions is what ensures they will not be admired by the public as well. Nobody else realizes the importance of Caleb and Camille’s ambitions and accomplishments.
Group 3 Part 2
ReplyDelete4. Kafka makes the hunger artist an artist in multiple ways. Firstly, the hunger artist completely dedicates his art to his way of life, similarly with the Fangs and their performance art. Second, the hunger artist is displayed in the zoo, where people can notice him completely, unable to ignore. The hunger artist is displayed in front of the world, and at the close of the story, he tells the worker, “I wanted you to admire my fasting.” He is looking for appreciation and to revoke some emotions of the public, likewise with the Fang family. But unfortunately, people are entranced by things for a short period of time, and the hunger artist is now replaced with a panther. Camille and Caleb Fang are pronounced “dead” and the world completely moves on. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the two things being conventional art, but it is art in the sense that it evokes emotion and reaction, key qualities of art. The problem Caleb and Camille would have with the hunger artist’s art is that he is advertising what he is going to do and letting people buy tickets to observe him, they believe art should be in the moment, like when they laughed at the “artist” who told people he was going to burn down his house and why, then made his art piece into their own.
5. The artist saying that “I couldn’t find the food I liked” is basically him explaining why fasting is so easy for him to do. If he’s not missing anything that he enjoys, it isn’t hard for him to go without. It definitely changes the meaning of his fasting, it seemed like he was doing it for the challenge or for the audience or maybe even a high purpose, but after that confession, it makes it seem as though he did it to avoid eating or to make himself so hungry that he likes food. Furthermore, I think him saying that the audience should not admire him makes everyone sort of lose respect for him. He seems a little confused because at first he says he wants to be admired and then he says he doesn’t want to be admired. He seems indecisive in life in general, not just in terms of food.
Group 8
ReplyDelete1.
Similarity: There are visitors/permanent watchers all day and night. During the day and night, the hunger artist acted the same way of not fasting.
Contrast: During the day, the visitors and watchers all spectate him and is awe-inspired by his persistence. but during the night, the permanent watchers doubting his fast and even gave him chances to eat from his “secret stash” of food.
Kafka chooses to include these details to highlight the hunger artist’s constancy and persistence in fasting and dissatisfaction for each time of fasting even when the situations change.
Pg. 478
“He had to put up with all that, and in the course of time had got used to it, but his inner dissatisfaction always rankled, and never yet, after any term of fasting-- this must be granted to his credit-- had he left the cage of his own free will.”
2.
Kafka seems to be showing that the hunger artist is not living a humane and purposeful life to its fullest, and even the panther lives its life more purposeful in comparison to him. Because the hunger artist was not living out the common purpose of a human life, Kafka slightly condemns it by comparing him to the panther.
The importance that the people celebrating the hunger artists’ end to fasting showed that they valued the end of the fast rather than the fast itself; whereas, the hunger artist hardly cared about finally getting to eat and wanted to just continue fasting anyway.
3.
Comparison: Both the hunger artist and the young panther are placed in cages with the purpose of entertaining and drawing attraction.
Contrast: The panther contrasts the artist’s ability to attract people during his suffering. The artist is less entertaining and thus less easy to appreciate. Spectators crowded around the panther’s cage because the panther took joy in life, unlike the hunger artist.
“ the guards brought the animal food whose taste it enjoyed. It never seemed once to miss its freedom.”
4.
The performance aspect of the hunger artist is what makes his fasting art. Both the Fangs and the hunger artist are suffering for their art and drawing attention to their performances. The Fangs’ art is more about the response and is constantly changing, whereas the hunger artist performs the same thing and doesn’t care about the people’s response.