A Hunger Artist

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Sophie Lindenberg Turner AP English 12, Period 3 3 February 2015 Short Story Response Six: “Hunger Artist” by Franz Kafka Franz Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist”, focuses primarily on a Hunger Artist obsessed with fame. Earlier in his career, the Hunger Artist had thousands of people watch and admire his fasting profession. To the Hunger Artist’s disliking, his impresario, or manager, would not let him fast past forty days in fear of losing the audience’s attention. The audience always praised the Hunger Artist for his martyrdom in fasting. However, the Hunger Artist was not fasting for religious reasons, but instead the Hunger Artist fasted for the attention and glory he received from the audience. As he became older, the Hunger Artist became less popular. He then joined a circus to regain fame and fast longer than forty days. In the circus, the Hunger Artist stationed himself by the animals so large groups of people would see him. However, the people walked past him to see the menagerie and animal exhibits. Soon the audience and the circus management forgot about him. The Hunger Artist continued fasting until he lost count of the days. When the circus management wanted to clean out his cage, they found the Hunger Artist dying. His last words concerning his purpose of fasting were, “because I couldn’t find the food I liked. If I had found it, believe me, I should have made no fuss and stuffed myself like you or anyone else.” After he was buried, the circus put a young, healthy, panther in his cage. The audience loved to watch the panther. Franz Kafka’s personal life had a huge impact on writings like “A Hunger Artist”. Kafka’s writing includes dark themes, self-hatred, self-denial, insecurity, and issues with authority. Many of Kafka’s personal insecurities came from his father, Herman. His tyrannical father had a ferocious temper and lack of appreciation for

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