It is the unconscious brain and root motives that intrigue philosophers, experts, doctors, and even common men to grasp the human head and even themselves. One philosophical doctrine, existentialism, endeavors to clarify the logic and concept of home and the consciousness thereof. Life is not bound by societies' criteria or what is apparently acceptable in the eye of others. Instead, identification or reality is, "more a matter of decision than finding" (Flynn, 10). This eviction of real truth, therefore, is a decision of heart and can. Kafka's Hunger Artist explores two of the essential components of existentialism: lifetime precedes essence and liberty in demonstrating existentialism through the "designer, " the audience gains a greater knowledge of epimeleia heautou (attention of do it yourself).
Becoming an individual is an eventual goal interacting strictly with the present. With this sense existentialism answers the age old question: May be the character of one a result of nature or nurture? The solution would be aspect. The idea of existence precedes essence explains that who an individual becomes is a result of their personal decisions. Essentially a person is who he or she decides to be, rather than an results of the past. In both books and certainty most would blame prior incidents as to whom they are suffering from into, especially in the negative sense, while existentialism argues any particular one is not really a victim of the past.
However, within the world of pure living, there is no room to incorporate ethics, the past, or the near future. Marcel shows that he is the prey of presence; that he himself is, and at the same time is also part of a whole (Marcel, 51). Every individual is part thought as well as part body. Physically your body will look after itself as an involuntary system, not being dependent on thought. A person, then, belongs to a body, while thought and natural existence have no ties to it. The target is to understand the relationship of both while not letting physical technicalities hinder thought. "The point to notice is the metaphysical connotation directed at a kind of repellent consistency which is alleged to be quality of thought" (Marcel, 53).
There is a common misunderstanding between thought and intelligence. Wisdom is the use of prior experience which is not really a part of existence itself. What could be called worldly knowledge is like a drape that conceals important living. It prohibits your brain from enlightenment and creates opacity. Although one ought to be selfless, they often times will consider themselves to be the guts of existence. To be able to not be blinded, 'lessons of life' must be released and one must limit living and invite oneself to be forgotten. To get is a selection, but to truly be is to stop to be (Flynn, 25).
The protagonist in the brief story The Craving for food Artist accomplished the aspect of existence precedes essence. Although in the beginning he was adored for his item, he was in the long run chastised for his life-style. Crowds would gather around his cage and peer in as he sat in solemn silence in reverence of his own life, but to them he was purely a kind of entertainment. What he regarded as an achievement, such as fasting for forty days and nights, all too soon became boring to the onlooker. In the end, his death almost came up completely undetected because desire for this form of art was quickly dulled and finally vacant due to insufficient understanding on the people' part.
Having discovered to let himself go, the designer led a life many would conclude is not worthy of living as well to be embarrassing. He was able to clear his brain and sit for countless time contemplating his presence or being. Negative enlightenment of absurdity acquired come to him, a existence that would reveal to him more than the common man could possibly understand. He previously been successful in separating his mind and body. While denying his body food, his thought would thrive, which in his mind was a great success. What helped bring him satisfaction had not been a lot his fine art and his audience but his potential to discipline himself and enjoy existence of do it yourself somewhat than what culture would consider living. Although he didn't value understanding from the onlooker, the designer did long for understanding of his work. His previous words to the overseer didn't signify regret, but instead his emotions of having wanted to be identified and kept in mind.
Perhaps the most peculiar affirmation the artist makes is his reasoning of fasting; that any food he ever tried did not bring fulfillment or satisfaction. It had been not that food literally didn't bring a enjoyable taste or that he really disliked anything he previously trie; instead he talks symbolically. An ordinary person depends of food as a way of survival and at times simply for pleasure. Because he previously been enlightened he needed more than tangible food to make it through, he also needed food for his thought. Along with his priorities set up he rejected his body of what it longed for in order to gratify his presence. His lifestyle was his being instead of his physical personal.
Kafka uses symbolism again when he explains the artist's activity of, "pulling deep into himself, paying no focus on anyone or anything, not the all-important striking of the clock" (Kafka, 394). Time can be considered a tangible concept. People rely on it to function and live structured on a daily basis. The musician does go on time. He has no day, month, time, hour, or minute. He spends his life in contemplation; he will not feel the pressure of a schedule and does not waste time on petty activity.
Another essential requirement of existentialism is flexibility. Its basic classification is an individual's path to identity despite cultural stigmas and financial pressures. This is actually the difference between the norm of what is expected and the 'truth' of what's. Freedom calls for someone to create his or her own values. This allows him or her to be their only guide to personal being, for no person can do it for the kids. Freedom is not to be limited to cultural conformities such as religious beliefs or politics. True independence is purely an inner principle departing room for the given individual to live and think as what is exposed to be true. Lifestyle matters not to the world; this is a self applied revelation. However at the same time there are constraints when physically acting out upon what's revealed. This reasonable sense triggers most revelations to be always a negative enlightenment.
Metaphorically speaking if life is an take action then every man or woman is a performer. Because living out means discussion with the planet each individual serves or performs for others along for himself. Marcel says, "He is therefore acting alternatively than being himself" (60). Although it is impossible to only are present in thought, one must not allow 'acting' out a life to put on a wall to avoid further development of enlightened living. Genuine freedom is usually to be stripped of all shields that act as outside pushes which intrude around.
Although flexibility of existentialism is great, it even has its limits. Some philosophers dispute that the world takes its own submit determining events which causes one to take action out a certain way. Acquired this event not took place they might not exactly have acted in any other case. Independence is then bound by the next antecedent of natural or social situations (Flynn, 38).
The Hunger Artist is filled with types of existentialistic freedom. Ironically the artist selects to keep himself locked inside a cage. Independence itself will not allow one to have everything. Most would interpret this to mean that he is restricted and captured; unwilling to be there. However he is within be choice. Not physically free, he finds being stationary and in fasting routine to bring contemplative independence. Even in the end when his performance was no more popular, he sustained to fast. This fasting liberty seemed as though it could operate on forever. Constantly looking to get more detailed, he was never completely satisfied. While looking to get more, he could only ask himself 'why stop now' "since he thought that there have been no limits to his convenience of fasting" (Kafka 395).
At the end of the story following his loss of life, the musician is soon substituted by a vivacious young panther. People longed to see something new and exciting. Being an creature he will become one, but Kafka uses his activities to portray the common man's features. The panther was pleased with any food that was given to him and ate it without thought. This means that most men "consume" what they are given without hesitation. They do not get worried about "digesting" anything deeper such as their individualism and living.
Kafka mentions that the pet also will not miss his liberty. Perhaps it is because he did not understand freedom to begin with and is not aware of just what he has lost. Additionally it is possible that he never really had freedom to begin with. Existentialistic independence is something uncovered rather than given as a gift. Individuals were most fascinated with the panther than these were the artist for entertainment purposes. The panther was also something they could understand since they have not yet been subjected to something beyond their being. It really is something they will never understand until they recognize that they are not really living.
Kafka efficiently uses existentialism to portray how a person comes to terms with being and nothingness in order to become more than what these were. He provokes one to ask "Why do we are present?" and "Why is there somewhat than there isn't?" through lifetime proceeds essence and freedom.
Work Cited
Flynn, Thomas. Existentialism A Very Short Benefits. Oxford, NY: Oxford School Press Inc. , 2006. (9-60). Print out. Works Cited
Marcel, Gabriel. The Viewpoint of Existentialism. 9th ed. NY: The Citadel Press, 1968. (14-65). Print.
Kafka, Franz. 'A Cravings for food Artist. ' Literature an Introduction to Reading and Writing 9th ed. NY Pearson Education Inc. 2009. 393-398.
de Beauvoir, Simone. Philosophical Writings. NY: Board of Trustees of the University or college of Illinios, 1908. (221-236). Print.
Wolin, Richard. The Terms of Cultural Criticism. NY: Columbia School Press, 1992. (83-95). Print out.
Lohafer, Susan. Coming to Terms with the Short Report. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana Status University or college Press, 1983. (7-28). Printing.
