But despite fasting as a profession, the titular character in Franz Kafka's "A Hunger Artist" salivates not for food, but for fame, reputation, and honor. ... In the short story "A Hunger Artist," Franz Kafka, in true existential fashion, uses the Hunger Artist's demise as a means to illustrate the irony in the character's existence; the Artist's life is rendered meaningless when he dies devoid of the fame and recognition that he has starved himself for. ... Kafka demonstrates this desire of the Artist, writing, "why stop fasting at this particular moment..? ... The Hunger...

• Word Count: 1019
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate