The Hunter Gracchus

Kafka begins "The Hunter Gracchus" with a pedestrian description of different villagers in their daily routines. Two men carrying the dead Hunter Gracchus enter a house where they meet a man in a top hat. This man isolates himself in a room with the dead hunter who suddenly wakes up and begins a conversation with the man who is revealed to be the Burgomaster of Riva.

The Huntsman reveals that he died several years ago falling from a cliff in the Black Forest but he claims that "my Death Ship lost its way". So the Huntsman now remains on Earth, always in motion, unable to find his destination. The Huntsman claims that his situation is unique and unmanageable. No matter where he goes, no one wants to help him because no one knows where to find him, thus the Huntsman travels the Earth aimlessly

The Huntsman Gracchus is a mysterious character. There is very little to guide the reader in how to interpret the Huntsman's bizarre situation. Kafka simply presents us with the facts and leaves us to draw our own tenuous conclusions. It seems that the Huntsman's situation is an anomaly, yet his situation is similar to the village people at the beginning of the story.

No one really has any idea what happens in the afterlife. Gracchus's story serves to remind people of just how little they truly know. While religion can provide an illusion of knowledge, it cannot even begin to grasp the true nature of death. Not even Gracchus nor his boat captain have any clue as to what sort of forces are at play. In any case, "The Huntsman Gracchus" is a story that presents more questions than answers. Gracchus's fate bears no connection to how he lived his life, so what determines what eventually happens to humans after they die?

I don't know and neither does Kafka. The point seems to be whatever happens afterlife is unknowable so it is foolish to pretend otherwise. If you have any stories that you would like me to read and write about, just let me know in a comment.

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A Hunger Artist

Kafka's "A Hunger Artist" is about a performer who fasts before an audience. This performer is incredibly committed to his art, but he is surrounded by people that do not understand it. The artist lives in a small cage with only a clock and a signpost showing how many days he has been fasting. In the beginning of the story, the hunger artist is a popular attraction in his local community. People are impressed and mystified by the hunger artist's capacity to perform a seemingly impossible task, yet the hunger artist feels that his task is quite easy. He laments the 40-day limit imposed on his fast by his impresario and also the ceremony after he completes his 40 days. The hunger artist feels that this 40 day limit essentially cheats him out of his own fame.

At the very beginning of "A Hunger Artist", Kafka tells us "During these last decades, the interest in professional fasting has markedly diminished." From this we can infer that "professional fasting" is a dying profession. Yet the hunger artist is truly connected with his profession. He has reached a stage of being totally consumed by his art. In fact, the hunger artist considers fasting to be the primary element of his identity. Fasting is everything for the hunger artist, like writing was to Kafka. Once Kafka realized that writing was his sole purpose for living, he completely abandoned the rest of his usual activities. According to Kafka's diaries, this was necessary because what little energy he could spend needed to be spent on writing.

The later pages of "A hunger Artist" depict the performer moving to a crowded circus environment. The hunger artist's enclosure is placed close to the main tent where the most exciting circus spectacles take place. This is both a blessing and a curse for the hunger artist. A lot of people pass by his tent but barely any of them are interested in his performance. Whatever spectacles await inside the main tent are much more appealing to the circus patrons. While he may be able to fast without a time limit, his talents are wasted because no one is interested in him anymore.

Eventually the hunger artist is replaced by a young panther. It's incredible how quickly the panther consumes the space of the hunger artist and begins garnering attention. Kafka's depiction of the panther is a stark contrast to the hunger artist: "the joy of life streamed with such ardent passion from his throat that for the onlookers it was not easy to stand the shock of it. But they braced themselves, crowded round the cage, and did not want to ever move away." The panther represents a 360 degree turnaround from the hunger artist. The panther needs no explanation to be entertaining. It's a freaking panther for god's sake. Yet the panther is lauded for its ability to draw a crowd, something the hunger artist failed to accomplish in his later years. One could also argue that the hunger artist and the panther are more similar than you might think, since both creatures performances obscure a more complex reality.

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