Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist” is clearly evident through out the process of reading this boring story. The first evidence of symbolism is the hunger artist himself; the artist represented misunderstood artist such as nobody would pay any respect to the starving man. It is also a possibility that the artist might also represent the Israelites such that he fasted for 40 days in order to achieve divine fulfillment.
The second instance of symbolism is the cage which happens to represent the artist’s alienation of common society. The cage separated the artist from the common rabble that would at one time enjoy his slow deterioration. The artist could never really fit in with the people on the outside of the cage even if he wanted to due to his strange desire so starve himself in order to have a glimpse of fame.
Another example of symbolism is the clock which represented how times change such as getting entertainment or not getting entertainment from watching a starving man. In the artist’s early career he would be adored by many fans for some unknown reason but as time progressed so did the era of new entertainment.
The last example to be mentioned is the panther. If the hunger artist was to be compared to spiritual enlightenment the panther would represent materiel and earthly objects. Even though the artist was trying to make a living while in the process of spiritual enlightenment the panther was much more entertaining to the commoners. The panther distracted and diverted the attention away from the Christlike figure such as the devil trying to distract Christians from enlightenment.
Composition 111 
February 6, 2013 at 4:57 pm
You made some small grammatical errors near the beginning of your post and I am assuming that it is just because when you typed this article. You exhibited a very evident distaste for the story however you made great connections with the symbolism in the story. Decent post next time I recommend rereading and you would most likely catch the errors made.
February 6, 2013 at 5:00 pm
I really like your post. You brought many new ideas to this story that I never would have thought of before. I feel that the pather also symbolizes that changing of interests in society. People became disenchanted with the hunger artist because it they had seen him fast many times before. In their opinion it was unexciting to see him just sit and waste away in a cage. The people also became disgusted with state he was in, the no longer wanted to see a man that was scrawny from starvation. The panther was something new and exciting, to the people. It was exotic and something they had never seen before. The panther was also more lively; it did not just sit in the cage.
February 6, 2013 at 5:00 pm
First off blake I am very proud of you for turning this blog in on time. I totally agree with the 4 symbols that you have chosen from this story. However, I believe that the hunger artists represents more than just the issirialites or a misunderstood artist. I believe that the Hunger artist represents art as a whole and how some think it is amuzing while others think it is a complete waste of time. The hugner artists strives to gain the attention of others just like an artist does with thier painting or sculpture. I agree with your opinion about the Panther. I believe that the panther is the exact oppisite of the Hunger artist and is used to symbolize what the hunger artist strived for.