A Fast Way to Die

Kafka's "A Hunger artist" was a very interesting read. It lead me think much about the art of performing and why people like musicians, athletes, and performers do the things they do.

The story itself was odd and at times rabid. The title first caught my attention, and when I realized that the story revolved around someone who had a talent for fasting, I wondered why on earth the story would be interesting. Who would want to see someone in a cage, doing nothing? However, the story revolves around the deep meaning of the actual hunger artist and why he did what he did.

I found it interesting to consider why the hunger artist simply performed all his life with the help (and sometimes, for the artist, too much help) of his parter. Here was his talent: not eating. Impressive? Sure, but it what does it do for society? The entertainment is boring and there seems to be no message in why he is doing it. We may wish to consider another man who fasted- Gandhi. He fasted (though not for 40 days) with a purpose. His fastings were a key drive to his movements and philosophy. The hunger artist fasted for entertainment.

When his "art" died out he felt he needed to finish what he had started. Instead of finding something else to do that might give his life a little more meaning, he joined a circus to finish his "career" in fasting. It was here that he died alone, under straw, and admitted to the last man he spoke with that he fasted because he couldn't find anything he liked to eat.

That final confession from him truly shoes the complexity of his character, He spent his who life seeking attention and affection from the crowd because he didn't like food. To me, this shows how, sometimes, people use the strangest ways to seek attention. Sure, he was good at what he did and it's not his fault he didn't like eating. However, he could have done 100 other things with his life for attention and affection. He chose, ultimately, to use his "talent", and from this choice, he died the strange man that had no true fans.