Hunger Artist

Interpreting the Nature of Suffering Through Hinduism

As much as people try to avoid it, suffering is inescapable. The grieving process that one experiences is an integral part in many religious studies that strengthens moral and physical character. However, if this misery is willingly self-inflicted on an individual, suffering suddenly turns taboo. The protagonist in Kafka’s The Hunger Artist does just that. He starves himself for days for art sake and to be admired by the public; however, people are horrified and mystified at what they see. Many religious figures, like Christ, Buddha, and Muhammad, willingly suffered to show respectful praise and divinity to their beliefs. Maud Ellman claims in her book The Hunger Artists: Starving, Writing, and Imprisonment, how the Hunger Artist is a Christ-like figure because he immolates himself to the public, which unifies the population. Many Christian symbols are referenced throughout Kafka’s The Hunger Artist making Ellman’s claim valid in discussing. However, though Ellman alludes to Christian symbols within Kafka’s The Hunger Artist, she merely points out Christian similarities and fails to address other Eastern Religions interpretations on suffering, like Hinduism, evident throughout the story.

Within the Eastern religion of Hinduism, its sacred text, the Bhagavad-Gita, states that, “self-discipline detracts suffering”, however, though the artist has great willpower, he still suffers due to the Hindi belief of karma. Suffering by fasting is the Hunger Artist’s art. In a cage for most of the story, the Hunger Artist longs for earlier days when fasting was praised. He boasts of his talent and joins a circus so that more people can admire his gift. Forgotten until starvation, the Hunger Artist dies with deep remorse about his life and is, at the end, replaced by a lively panther. From the text, the reader realizes the public does not understand the Hunger Artist’s art, which saddens the artist to exclaim,...