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
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