Adi1 Yasmin Adi Mr.

Hackney English 101: Rhetoric 5 November 2013 The Struggles of the Homosexual Expressed through Art The protagonist in A Hunger Artist, by Franz Kafka is a man who has a passion to fast as a profession. Being able to interpret the story in many ways, looking from a queer theorist view, the main plot of the story involves a man who fasts for forty days, but is unable to continue due to the overseers who act as a road block to fulfilling his dream. His dream consists of fasting over forty days and showing society that he can achieve more than the standards that are set. The Hunger artist in this situation can correlate with someone who is homosexual and is facing difficulties with society just like the artist in the story. Viewing the story in the perspective of the queer theory, Kafkas A Hunger Artist accommodates the struggles of a homosexual who is trying to find themselves in humanity and go against what others follow as mainstream. Analyzing the story from a queer theorist, one might argue that Kafkas story can be interpreted as a man who is forced to follow a certain set of rules enforced by people who have more power than him. When it was time for the hunger artist to break his fast , two young ladies appeared, blissful at having been selected for the honor, to help the hunger artist down the steps (920). These two young ladies symbolize the parents of the homosexual child since they were carefully selected and they were important to the hunger artist just as parents would be to their child. Considering the two ladies could possibly symbolize the hunger artists parents, they were with him when he was going to eat his meal. While thinking of this he, had a sense of

Adi2 nausea that only the presence of the ladies kept him from betraying and even that with an effort (920). What the two ladies, or the parents, were doing for the artist was comforting him with just their presence. In any stressful situation, a child will want to be with their parents since they were around them for most of their life and they bring a sense of comfort. The artist is under a lot of pressure due to the norms of society and when he [answers] questions with a constrained smile (918), this is what Kafka states as a crucial hint for the reader to acknowledge the artist is in a predicament. In times of a homosexual dealing with confusing decisions about their preferences, they often times go to their parents for clarifications. A big change for a homosexual in their lifetime is coming out to their parents. This is the most difficult situation they are put in and some choose not to resolve it with their parents at all. When Kafka states Why stop now when he was in his best fasting form, or rather, not yet quit in his best fasting form? (920), this may be the start of the hunger artist, in perspective of a child, considering coming out to his parents. Him fasting is the battle the artist is facing about whether he should confront his parents about his situation or not, in terms of the thought he had put into the possible outcomes. Him being cheated for his fame he would get for fasting longer (920), is equivalent to a homosexual having an immense amount of confidence he has until he decides to tell his parents. The longer the homosexual hides the fact that they are gay, or bisexual, the less they have to fear of the acceptance they will receive from their parents, hence, the reason why the artist wanted to fast longer. Usually the parents will be accepting of their decision, just as the parents of the hunger artist were of his decision. When the artist states I always wanted you to admire my fasting (924), is the artist wanting his parents to accept his decision in being homosexual. They do accept it since they state We do admire it (924). Thus with his parents accepting him, the artist dies, or his fear of coming out to his parents. An

Adi3 overseer yells Well, clear this out now! (924), indicating the hunger artists problem is completely resolved. Instead of the artist, Into the cage they put a panther (924), symbolizing a fierce, new personality the artist has after getting the stressful situation off his shoulders. After analyzing Franz Kafkas story The Hunger Artist, in the view of a queer theorist, it can be argued that the artist is symbolizing a homosexual and his journey to explore himself while battling everyday situations, such as confronting his parents if his choices. Fasting consists of nothing eaten for a certain amount of time and the humans main source of nutrients is food. The idea of the artist starving himself of nutrients is similar to a homosexual starving themselves of a decent relationship with their parents, but more importantly with themselves. Kafka states perhaps it was dissatisfaction with himself that had worn him down (919), meaning situations will get tense at times to the point where one starts tearing themselves up when in reality it can almost always be traced back to the acceptance society gives the situation. Being different does not mean being wrong and the artist learns this moral the hard way.

Adi4 Works Cited Kafka, Franz. "A Hunger Artist." Trans. Edwin Muir and Willa Muir. 1922. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Comp. R.V. Cassill and Richard Bausch. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 2000. 918-24. Print.