A Hunger Artist Analysis

For millennia humans have been trying to decode the meaning of life and what our purpose is as individuals and beings on earth. Some have found satisfied that search through religion, successful careers, or even material acquisitions, but through this many have found falsemeaning that can taint the human experience. The only thing that we as humans can be sure of is the life we are currently living and the moments we are currently experiencing. The only thing we can find true meaning in is the moments within life that we experience with our present eyes. A Hunger Artist, Death of a Salesman, and The Respectful Prostitute present the meaningless that we so often find in modern society when in search for meaning by placing importance on worthwhile

In A Hunger Artist, the hunger artists initially feels proud and content as the crowds come to see his lengthy fastings. He is considered an important, respectable artist and his work is admired by all as “the whole town took a lively interest in the hunger artist.” (Kafka, 1922) As his profession loses popularity, he loses confidence and his sense of purpose and pride diminishes with the appreciation of his work. He was “too fanatically devoted” to his work to move onto something else, it had become a part of his personal identity. (Kafka, 1922) He had found meaning in his work, and with the loss of it came the loss of his purpose and will to

(Sartre, 1946) It is apparent that Lizzie is in constant search of acknowledgment through both her career choice as well as her actions throughout the scenes, and this is confirmed as she gives into a man that once treated her so poorly as he promises her all that she’s ever wanted, including a normal life with guaranteed time with him. (Sartre, 1946) While she is capable of finding meaning in the little things that life has to offer, she isn’t immune to the human instinct of group