Please answer the questions about “A Hunger Artist” to the best of your ability. PLEASE USE EXAMPLES and quotes from the story to support your assertions.
1) The hunger artist complains that people do not understand his art. Are there modern paintings, sculptures, and poems that you do not understand? Do you usually make an effort to understand them? Or do you usually dismiss them? If the plight of the hunger artist here is symbolic of the plight of the writer or any other artist, what might the author be trying to reveal here?
2) Why do you think Kafka made the hunger artist a fair or circus attraction? And what kind of mood does Kafka create by setting “A Hunger Artist” in a world of vibrant entertainment? Does the story become lively or exciting? Or does the festive setting make the hunger artist’s fate take on a depressing mood or meaning?
3) What role do descriptions of the hunger artist’s body and appearance play in the short story? Did you think that these descriptions were interesting and effective, or could the hunger artist’s body and surroundings have been depicted better if it were a painting or other visual form?
4) In terms of ethics and morality, how do the crowds in the story perceive the hunger artist? Do they find his fasting reprehensible and disgusting? Do they approve of his fasting as a sign of strength and noble individuality? Or do they not take any moral stance at all?
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