A Hunger Artist Essay Example for Free

A Hunger Artist EssayMisunderstanding must be exposed and handled accordingly in order for understanding to come in Throughout the short story, A Hunger Artist, misconstrue often created a separation of creative person from society. Franz Kafka uses various literary elements and devices such as symbols and encroach to demonstrate this theme. One way that Franz Kafka explicitly displays misunderstanding in A Hunger Artist is through his use of symbolism. Throughout the work, the starve finesseist was locked at bottom of a cage to isolate himself from the fickle earth. This cage represents alienation from society and also a barrier that prevents understanding.The spectators positions outside of the cage prevent them from truly appreciating the aridness artists feat and often times causes those to misunderstand the concept of art that the hunger artist is attempting to exhibit. In the artists case, being an artist means cutting oneself off from the world and this is reflec ted in the artists conscious choice to sequester, or seclude, himself in a cage. The physical separation of hunger artist and spectator that the cage creates mirrors the spiritual separation of the individual artistic ego and public will.This separation in mindset leads to a critical dividend in understanding in which only the hunger artist realizes the importance of his ambitions and accomplishments. In regard to the artists behavior, the impresario would excuse as stated, He would apologize publicly for the artists behavior, which was only to be excused, he admitted because of the irritability caused by fasting a condition hardly to be understood by well-fed people (Kafka 3). Spectators often misinterpreted the point that the hunger artist was attempting to portray. The purpose of the cage was to secure him from those who do not understand him.Another way that Kafka demonstrates misunderstanding is through his use of external conflict. The hunger artists troubled relationships wit h his spectators suggest that the artist exists apart from society and must therefore be misconstrue since the spectators do not perceive art in the same sense that the hunger artist does. This conflict ultimately occurs on more than one joint throughout the text. The artist does not want to be rewarded with materialistic contributions and/or praise from the public he finds the greatest reward in others understanding of art from his perspective.The public pretend to admire the hunger artists accomplishments merely because they do not understand the true concept of art that the artist is melody to convey. Kafka states, His public pretended to admire him so much, why should it have so little patience with him if he could endure fasting longer, why shouldnt the public endure it? (2). The fickle public that the hunger artist encounters does not pay him as much attention as he expected. The public are joyful to finally see the artist stop his fasting so they are able to proceed on wi th their lives they dont show much following in the art of fasting.In an article, Ian Johnston translates, In the last decades kindle in hunger artists has declined considerablyBack then the hunger artist captured the attention of the good city. From day to day while the fasting lasted, participation increased (Franz Kafka A Hunger Artist). This explicitly expresses the reason why the public show no interest in the hunger artists fasting. An art that was greatly appreciated before has now died down and is not trendy. The hunger artists attempts to actualize the publics recognition of the true concept of the art of fasting have failed.From reading the short story, A Hunger Artist, one arouse gain the concept of how important it is to expose misunderstanding before true understanding can develop. Whether it be with an in-depth look at art or barely a misunderstanding between two people, developing an understanding is vital. The reason for misunderstanding must be addressed and h andled accordingly prior to proceeding in the process of understanding. Works Cited Kafka, Franz. A Hunger Artist. Prague Twisted Spoon Press, 1996. N. pag. Print. Yancey, Phillip. Good Reads.N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. lthttp//www. goodreads. com/quotes/tag/misunderstandinggt. Understanding. Def. 2a. Merriam-Webster. n. d. N. pag. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. lthttp//www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/understandinggt. Johnston, Ian. Franz Kafka The Metamorphosis, A Hunger Artist, In the penal Colony, and Other Stories. Arlington, Virginia Richer Resources Publications, 2009. N. pag. Web. 11 May 2013. lthttp//www. richerresourcespublications. com/Books/Classic_Books/Philosophy/Kafka/Franz_Kafka. pdfgt.