Cormac McCarthy the road Essays

Cormac McCarthy the road Essays Cormac McCarthy the road Essay Cormac McCarthy the road Essay Essay Topic: The Book Thief The Road In McCarthys The Road, the reader is exposed to a frightening nightmarish situation of what might become after a disastrous event. My essay will focus upon the confrontation between good and evil which is so wonderfully dramatize throughout the novel and finally answer what Cormac McCarthy ultimately suggested about good and evil?.The scorched earth, ashen drift and the Blackness are all examples of the vivid language used by McCarthy to convey a very unique and desolate view of what the world quickly became after whatever apocalyptic event occurred.The reader is only given a glimpse of what cataclysmic event brought the world to its knees, which occurred years ago, just before the boy was born: A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions. Afterward we are given a haunting vision of the early days: People sitting on the sidewalk in the dawn half immolate and smoking in their clothes. Like failed sectarian suicides. Then just how quickly the age of humanity ceased to ex ist giving way to a malevolent society: within a year there were fire on the ridges and deranged chanting. The screams of the murdered. By day the dead impaled on spikes along the road. The world that McCarthy portrays in the Road has simply disintegrated, leaving a clear divide between good and evil. Whatever good guys still exist, are at risk of becoming food for the evil cannibals. McCarthy has simply brought an end to civilization. The culture and history of millions of years of evolution and civilization is now extinct, the rules and laws that were set in place to prevent such evil behaviour is no more. Apart from our protagonists the others exist with no purpose or belief. Simply put now the god spoke have left this is what remains, a world where anarchy rules and what the father simply sees as the nothingness of McCarthys post apocalyptic worldThe once beautiful American climate and landscape is fast becoming completely inhospitable, It is a fact, that if the cannibals do not kill them, the landscape and weather will, (an example of this is when they come across the man that has been struck by lightening or the fathers persistent coughing made worse by the air or when the boy gets a fever.) The landscape itself is an evil. The bleak and temporal winds as well as the endless rain are the reason for their migration south in hope of warmer climates. There is ashen air which they actively cover their faces from in an effort not to inhale, and the cauterized terrain that causes the father to worry about their shoes. The effect of this is that McCarthy has made a vividly realised setting for our protagonists to roam through.With the dark clouds of global warming gathering over our heads in our own world and the incessant dread of nuclear attack. One cannot help, when reading The Road, but hope that our own world, doesnt emulate that of Cormac McCarthy if the worse were to happen. If civilization collapses and the worlds economy crumpled leaving the western wo rld in anarchy much like Haiti or Afghanistan, existence in such a world would then become based upon the survival of the fittest.Although the reader is not explicitly told what atrocity left the world in such devastation, we are given clues throughout the book, that leaves it open to interpretation, for example: cars in the street caked in ash and ashed air both point towards a nuclear holocaust. The mummified bodies our protagonists find along the road seem to indicate a volcanic eruption, much like Pompeii. McCarthy portrays scenes that are not too far-fetched, which keeps it feeling real. We recognize familiar objects such as a can of coca cola. The stores and houses are ransacked, which is a very likely situation after a disaster, for instance, people looting after hurricane Katrina. When people are starving and they will do anything to survive which is also believable. After reading The Road there is a heightened awareness that we mustnt let the world get to the point where ev il overwhelms the good, so that our own world doesnt succumb to the same plight as those in the roads. The Road is a superb but utterly frightening evocation of what awaits us, if catastrophe were to strike.From the instant the story begins, the narrative is extremely disorienting. an example of this is at the very beginning of the story and we are thrusted straight into the fathers nightmare. The language is often obscure. Because McCarthy omits quotation marks to announce speech and both our protagonists are male, therefore he the common pronoun becomes shared by the father and son throughout the novel, so it is difficult to be sure who exactly is being quoted in conversations. Also their voices flow from one to another with minor distinction. For example:Just wait here, he said.Im going with you.I thought you were scared.I am scared.Okay. Just stay close behind me.The narrative is as clear as the landscape and rivers in The Road which is not very. The story is written in the thir d person, but at times it is difficult to distinguish between the fathers thoughts and the voice. He watched the boy sleeping. Can do it? When the time comes? Can you? The language in this extract is eerie. We sense that the father is battling with his conscience and it is almost as if he is pleading with the reader for help. This at times leaves the reader with a feeling of bewilderment and at times makes the novel exhausting to read, which is how our protagonists feel, in their quest for survival and their worry for each other. There are many other things going on with the narration. For example when the father ponders the strangely orange morning light of a forest fire burning away the remains of the old world, he remembers a sacrament from the world that is burning beneath them: make a list, recite a litany. Remember. In a way the most of the story is a litany, made up of things the father remembers from the old world.McCarthys language throughout gives gruesome detail when desc ribing the evils of the road which could be a reflective of the mentality of the cannibals, for example: what the boy had seen was a charred human infant. Headless and gutted and blackening on the spit. This use of vivid language and imagery is not unusual in McCarthy novels; there is a scene in one of his previous novels, All the Pretty Horses McCarthy explains how John Grady Cole jammed the redhot barrel ash and all down into the hole in his leg. to cauterize his gunshot wound with his own pistol.The language seems like it comes straight out of a poetry book, and it helps us become engaged with the plot and feel like were living each day with them.This can be seen in the short, expressive sentences or phases with make up the novel. Which often contain nouns but no verbs for example: Barren, silent, godless. This seems to highlight the words importance and goes some way to describing the world seen by our protagonists. The barren emphasises the lost of humanity and the infertile na ture of the land, which is their reason for hunger. The silence seems to signify the perils of the land and the need to be silent so as not to be notice and also the lack of life in the world and godless for it seems that immorality has become the new way of life. Because it is Barren and silent the world would automatically become godless, hence the order Barren, silent, godless. McCarthy also uses elements of poetry when setting a scene they set out along the blacktop, the gun metal light, shifting through the ash. He uses a metaphor to describe the relationship between the sun and the landscape. The use of the word gun-metal gives the impression of a cold grey shine making the world seem dangerous and sinister. Also the use of the word shifting conveys the sun as if it is trying to enlighten a depressed earth with no success. This is similar to another description of the sun trying to illuminate the earth By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lam p. This quote seems to epitomize the fact that the sun never breaks through the grey dust storms of the nuclear winterIn terms of structure, McCarthy follows his own rules. For instance the omission of chapters gives the book a continuous flow. Just like our protagonist wanting to keep moving south, we want to keep reading.The father at times doesnt seem to harbour much hope. The anxiety that parents already have, has been magnified due to their plight. Everything he sees or hears is potentially evil and derelict buildings and homes are perceived to be death-traps only to be entered when needs must. Apart from his resourcefulness and an ability to remain inconspicuous, his only other weapon is a revolver with two bullets which the reader comes to realize, are already spoken for. Trepidation is the foremost constant of the mans survival, while the boy lives in a state of unqualified terror. When his father rummages for any morsel of food in abandoned houses, or hunts for firewood or leaves him even for a moment, they go through the same litany of fear:Im scared.I know.Okay.Theres no one here, the man said.Okay.Are you still scared?Yes.Were okay.Okay.The boy needs his father to care for him, to socialise and love him, and the father is blissfully aware that he needs the boy to give him a purpose, a reason to keep living in an unreasonable, unimaginable world. He held the boy close to him. So thin. My heart, he said. That the boy was all that stood between him and death. This lovefor his son has come to signify all the possible meaning in his life. The boy is an embodiment of cause and purpose. To his father he is virtually divine and something to believe in: Golden chalice, good to house a god. And the man is desperate for that, desperate to have faith in something autonomous of man and eternal even with death. So he believes that his son can restore humanity. So he keeps trying, protecting his son from the desperation, hopelessness and dangers that is now ther e life. He tells his son: nothing bad can happen to them as they are carrying the fire. It is the son who instils in him hope for humanity. Because of this the son is able, at times, to influence his fathers decisions even though it is beyond his fathers better judgement. An example of this is when they have reached the coast and they have all their worldly belongings stolen from them by a emaciated outcast from one of the surviving blood cults, we read the vengeful reaction of papa to the thiefs desperate act of survival and watch as he is made to strip to complete vulnerability and left for dead. The boy in response to such a callous and inhumane response from his father, pleads with his him for mercy upon the thief, which the father grants and they are soon backtracking to the point where they had left the thief to return him his clothing.Much like a biblical character the father often has dialogues with god that could be compared to those of Job as he is often question gods will : have you no neck by which to throttle you? Have you a heart? Damn you eternally have you a soul.The son has not become disillusioned, despite being witness to misery; barbarism and immorality with had already led to his mother committing suicide. In fact, he has somehow managed to preserve his innocence and belief that good guys still exist. In a sense McCarthy is portrays the boy if he where a Samaritan, beset by pity for those the find upon the road an example of this is when they encounter a survivor upon the road, Ely, whom the father is coaxed into feeding by the boy. This epitomizes all the boy stands for. The encounter with Ely also shed lights on reoccurring theme throughout the novel. The existence of good guys upon the road. The conversation with Ely resolves this dispute. Moreover Ely provides the reader and father and son with a more direct answer. When asked by the father, how he has been surviving, and Ely responds that other travellers have been sharing their food w ith him; an idea that to the father sounds laughable until Ely points out that hr himself has done so.In my opinion the father is a representative from our world into the strange, new and hopeless world of post-apocalyptic horror who must try and digest the fact that the old world is no longer and with it all the things that define what he knows to be life. The boy is a representation of the new world, born into the chaos and knowing nothing about the old world except for stories and facts told by his father.Like wildebeest their sole existence is based on continuous movement, whether it is to find food and shelter or to evade capture from predators. But no cost would they ever resort to the evil alternatives. In the eyes of our protagonists the number of survivors that turn to savagery is completely irrelevant because they have decided to support each other to avoid either one plummeting to the level of the savages.The balance between good and evil in the roads can be summed up by what I believe is two similar but conflicting moments in the book. On one of their previous foraging trips the father had opened a cellar in which the bloodcults kept their prisoner, presumably for later consumption. So when they came across another hidden bunker, understandably the boy is terribly frightened and doesnt want his father to open it out of fear for what they might find, but the father reassures him: This door looks like the other door he said. But its not. I know youre scared. Thats ok. I think there may be thing in there and we have to take a lookthis is what good guys do. They keep trying. They dont give up. And this time they uncover a bunker full of food, clothing, fresh water etc. just as the find there deliverance from death: hed been ready to die and now he wasnt going to and enjoy second helpings of canned pears, McCarthy cruelly and somewhat evilly tell us that they cant stay there long.I those two scenes epitomize the road by Cormac McCarthy as it shows us th e fine balance between good and evil. Because the cannibalistic others have lost all humanity they would have never of found that bunker. But our protagonists, with their hope and belief. Keep trying and although all might seem lost, the roads show us that good things will happen to those that are tolerant, believe and never lose faith.Another contrast between good and evil comes at the end of the story with the death of his father. Even though this is widely anticipated, the death of his fathers leaves the boy is a rather precarious position. The boy has lost his only form of protection and is left holding the revolver. it is ironic that is boy saviours comes in the form of good guys which the son ever gave up hope in. and the boy is left to go on without his father carrying with him all the things he learned from him.

Seminar in criminology classmate response 3 Essay

Seminar in criminology classmate response 3 - Essay Example also like to add that this type of policing not only promotes a good relationship between the community and the police force, but it also prevents other crimes from occurring. It is possible because the main element of problem-oriented policing is that there is scanning, analyzing of the problem and the response and assessment of the crime. Thistlethwaite and Wooldredge (2013) evidently point this out on page 80, where the authors abbreviate the four steps of problem-oriented policing as the SARA model. It is from such steps that police are in a better position to develop informed responses which help in reducing more incidents from occurring again. It was clear that Gonzalez wanted her readers to know that this is a type of policing technique where the police cannot work on their own. Crime prevention in United States has often been seen by members of the public only as a police officer’s duty. However, with such policing initiatives such as the problem-oriented policing, the public begins to understand that it is also their duty. This is also evidently pointed out by Thistlethwaite, and Wooldredge (2013), on page 78 of their book, where they say that the police take a broader role in the community when it comes to the problem-oriented policing. In my opinion, the second part of the discussion on broken window policing also provides readers with a clear view of what it is. For example, Gonzalez has clearly explained what this policing technique attempts to do in a community. Unlike the problem-oriented policing, the broken window policing initiative focuses on the conditions of a community’s landscape and environment to detect problems. I liked that Gonzalez tried to show why this type of policing is effective in certain circumstances, while ineffective in others. I agree that disorders and crimes are some of the effects that come as a result of high poverty and not because of run-down buildings and structures. Lastly, though the author has provided some

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures - Essay Example Catfish is one of the types of fish that people consume, which differentiate the consumers along different lines of the economy, society and political differences. Through this differentiation, people have different perspectives of looking at the catfish both from the perspective they may have from the influence they have from their culture and social ties. The analysis of production and consumption of catfish will help in explaining the various reasons that make it a consumer product of a specific group of people within a society, which may mean a lot of structure formulation within a society. The analysis focuses on the sources of catfish and the places in which it is a common form of food while in some others; it could be a rare commodity (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004, p.27). Catfish are popularly produced in different places in the world as one of the small-fish that people consume as food for their own and which they sell to a few people around their environment. However, researc h shows that production of small-fish in sector of fishing is an aquaculture that usually target different people who fall in the low economic classes in the society. In the economy, consumption of these small-fish is therefore, related to specific people in the country who could be a having similar general characteristic (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004, p.39). Catfish is mostly common among the Vietnamese who invest in production of the organisms for food in different place in both large-scale and small-scale levels of the economy. This production is facilitated by the demand that is raised for the food that that has some contents of fish and the different levels of production of catfish through the aquaculture technology implies the different demanding issues that surround food fish production within the society. In this respect, when food fish demand increases, people have adopted various ways through which they can improve the amount of products they obtain from their investment. I n the Vietnamese culture, fish are highly regarded and therefore, people adopt aquaculture in order to meet the local demands as well as the needs of others that are away from the country. In the aquaculture for production of the catfish species of the fish, there are different factors that favour the production in the area, which motivate people to invest in the production as a mode of subsistence or as a commercial activity. In order to produce, people depend on different opportunities that the environment offers, which help people to exploit it for their benefit. In this respect, people have different ways through which they produce the catfish to the different market in Vietnam or away from the country. The most common factors that are important in determining the production of the catfish include the sources of water where the fish will grow, the availability of fingerlings that grow to be the mature catfish and the space that is available for people in to establish their produ ction and the aquaculture. In most cases, people who invest in aquaculture try to establish their production by varying the conditions in the condition of the environment to allow the production even in places that are not very favourable for production. This aquaculture in

Coffee Industry Essay Example for Free

Coffee Industry Essay People usually drink coffee to stay up while awake at night, besides that many people rely on coffee to get their day started. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, â€Å"Drinking coffee can lead to a longer life†; however, many consumers have no idea of the impact of habits on their coffee and coffee farmers around the globe, ethical issues of consumers with the industry is not fair; but to coffee farmers, the issues are human rights violations and use of child labor issues need to be addressed. To remedy this situation, the fair trade will hopefully improve the living conditions of some of the poorest people in the world through certified value and the change in the consumers choice. Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities in the world, most of the farmers in the form of small retail and come from developing countries, although the majority of coffee sales are in the America and Europe many people around the world rely on coffee to work and have a better life; however, to producing quality coffee, farmers have to work very hard though farmers receive very little money and the inequity of the coffee producing companies when they sell coffee. Working conditions of farmers in the plantations are very different, although they work hard , but it paid for exploitation, for example , in Guatemala , coffee pickers to harvest 100 pounds to get the minimum wage $ 3 per day (The Problem with Fair Trade Coffee 2010),farmers have to work overtime and do not earn extra money, so farmers use child labor for the production of coffee to save money and use these chemicals effect of the human body in order for a fast development of coffee sale on the market. Moreover, using the chemicals and the development of the coffee industry adversely affect habitat and species decline. In addition, forests are cut down to coffee production affects the environment and soil erosion. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), â€Å"converting forest to tea and coffee agriculture can also create erosion and soil loss† (WWF 2010) ; yet the farmers have no choice and/or the opportunity to change. According to the International Coffee Organization or ICO â€Å"Coffee production in 2012 was 144 611 000 bags, mostly from less developed countries such as, Brazil 50 826 000 bags. Vietnam 22 000 000 bags and Indonesia 12 730 000 bags â€Å" (ICO 2013), though coffee production is highly ranked in the world, but farmers still do not get enough money to pay for life, for example, Vietnam in 2012, producing nearly 30 % of world coffee production but the turnover is only 10 % of the total trade value obtained from the global industry, the main reason is due to their ability to improve processing of value and coffee products are limited, coffee roasting plants in countries with rates lower than 10%, when farmers sells 1kg of coffee beans, farmers gets about 2 dollars or an average price of one cup of coffee oversea, yet 1 kg of coffee can make 50 cups. In addition, the links between farmers and enterprises are not strong, the lack of information on farmers markets, so farmers often extorted. Moreover, the risk of crop failure is the fear of the coffee growers. Most of the profits from coffee for export processing enterprises, coffee farmers only enjoy a small percentage. That has caused insecurity for farmers. Solution to this problem is the fair trade. According to Wikimedia, Fair trade coffee is coffee that is certified as having been produced and marketed to a stated set of standards. Many Customers pay a higher price when buying coffee with the certification logo or brand in the Belief Furniture , by doing so, they are helping farmers in the Third World . In particular, the fair trade coffee movement gives a reasonable price to the Farmers who were being a low wage labor exploitation. However, achieve certification of fair trade, farmers must meet several conditions of production as farmers have to meet a large variety of production standards : there are limits on the use of child labor , pesticides , herbicides , genetically modified products , etc. With these standards met, both consumers and farmers can benefit, with farmers getting the sufficient amount of money for their products, and the consumers getting their product knowing it’s safe to consume and has no effect on the producers financially or ethnically. These farmers must cooperate with businesses to produce the certified products, such amounts received will be higher and the lives of the farmers would be better. In addition, consumers should choose certified products in the supermarket or the market as this will support and will be helpful for farmers. In conclusion, fair trading is the way for farmers and coffee producers to get a higher amount, and will change lives for the better. Therefore farmers should choose fair trade to ensure benefits and consumers should choose products that have been certified to support the farmers. Reference * The problem with Fair Trade Coffee. * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www. ssireview. org/articles/entry/the_problem_with_fair_trade_coffee * Coffee Production and Labor * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www. organicconsumers. org/starbucks/coffeelabor. htm * Fair Trade Coffee * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fair_trade_coffee * International Coffee Organization- EXPORTING COUNTRIES: TOTAL PRODUCTION * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www. ico. org/prices/po. htm * Health and effect of Coffee. * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Health_effects_of_coffee * Environmental Impacts of Coffee and Tea Production * Retrieved September 2, 2013 from http://www. hellogreentomorrow. com/blog/2010/11/environmental-impacts-of-coffee-and-tea-production.

Essay --

In this day and age, many argue that the United States has an â€Å"apathy problem.† According to The Huffington Post, â€Å"America is truly exceptional in its ability not to care.† The only time we are concerned about an issue, is only if and when it personally affects us. This is also the circumstance in regards to politics. Citizens must have reliable information in order to make good, rational decisions that will help our political system run efficiently. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. According to Converse, â€Å"most Americans glance at public life innocent of ideological concepts and unguided by any broad outlook on government policy† (Kinder and Sanders, 1996, p. 167). In such a society, there is no such thing as equal representation, only popular representation, as a result of the disparities and ignorance of the people. Converse makes very valid arguments that confirm that regardless of ideological innocence, political electorates, as a wh ole, will continue to be consistent with the changing conditions of society. In the past, the â€Å"information problem† was the scarcity of information and the disconnected flow of information to the voters. Today, the problem is one of â€Å"superabundance† (Converse, 1990, p. 371). Because there is such a massive volume of information available, it is difficult to organize and rummage through it all. Corresponding to Down’s Rational Choice theory, rational voters will not make an effort to analyze such information because there are higher costs than benefits to search through and find â€Å"good† information (Converse, 1964, p. 33). Consequently, there is a huge disparity—a difference that we greatly underestimate—between the ignorant and the well-informed constituents. According to Converse, there... ...presentation fidelity â€Å"is higher for the better-educated constituents† (Converse, 1990, p. 387). This is the case because politically sophisticated entities will be more vocal and more involved in legislation. Our society is a mix of the two models, issue-public and top-down, so it only makes sense that information will be unequally distributed. Although we don't like to admit it much, we are a very indifferent society, so people do not care; they will simply delve into and further develop their expertise on topics that they are specifically interested in. However, there is no need to fret. Everyone is different and has distinct interests and skills. After all, there are nine different types of intelligences—some excel in Math while others outshine in English. Therefore, we should leave politics to the professionals and the well-informed constituents.

A Disappointing Holiday

The cool breeze swept through my hair, making me shiver with excitement. I arched my neck to take full view of the breathtaking beauty of Eiffel Tower, which towered above me like some iron giant. It was such a lovely day. The melodious chime of the twittering birds filled me with glee. The sun too, it seemed, was in a playful mood, playing hide and seek behind the fluffy clouds. â€Å"Trrring trrring! † The telephone rang all of a sudden; bringing me out of the scenic beauties my mind was roaming in. â€Å"Hello† I said. â€Å"Oh! Hello Ferva beta! I have some good news for you! † It was my uncle. Yes, yes! I am listening! † I replied enthusiastically. â€Å"Well! Your tickets have been confirmed for day after tomorrow. † â€Å"Oh really! † â€Å"Yes. Now be ready beta. Don’t miss out anything and take care! Goodbye! † â€Å"Goodbye uncle! † I replied, bringing our conversation to an end. I breathed deeply, thinking of th e adventures in store for me. Ever since my uncle had invited me to visit his family in Paris during my holidays, I had been simply restless. I had been surfing the Net since the past few days for the best tourist locations, and had even set out a travel plan.I was to travel to Paris and visit the monumental beauties of France. Switzerland’s picturesque locations would be my next destination, where I would scale the snowy Alps; move on to Holland and witness the magnificent windmills; a day or two in Italy, and then back to Paris. It was all perfectly planned! These vacations would be the best ones I ever had! The next day was spent fidgeting around endlessly. My mother gave me a box of chocolates as a token of love, and my sister just couldn’t stop reading out her endless wish list! My father was to drive me to the airport, and I counted each passing second in wait. Honk, honk! † â€Å"Finally,† I cried, and headed straight towards the staircase in full s peed. I really couldn’t believe it! My dream vacation was at last going to come true! Once again my mind wandered to the lush green valleys of Europe and I†¦ â€Å"Ouch! † A sharp cry of pain left my mouth as I found myself sprawled on the concrete steps. In my haste, I had hurt myself. The car that was to take me to the airport took me to the hospital instead. This was the most devastating moment for me. I could not help thinking that my flight was leaving without me, my dream had shattered within the blink of an eye.At the hospital, what I thought was a sprain turned out to be a fracture, and I was strictly restricted to six weeks of complete bed rest. A pall of gloom hung over me as I heard my mother call my uncle to inform him of the accident. I was brought home, and though my fracture had healed to a certain extent, my misery never left me. â€Å"Oh, come on! † said my sister, â€Å"my shopping list can wait until next time! † she added cheerful ly. But I could only answer her with a wry smile. It just seemed impossible for me to come to terms with the fact that my plans could fail.And it was in this time of disappointment that I even complained to Allah. once when I was crying silently over how my hopes had been shattered, my mother came up to me and holding my hand said. â€Å"Beta, I know that you have been let down but you must learn that this is part of life. † She paused to take a breath. â€Å"Always remember, God never harms his creations. In fact, there is always betterment behind every decision. † The calm words of my mother made me realise that no matter how much we plan, the ultimate power is God. This moment of truth made me feel better than before.

Essay on Artist Pain Exposed in Kafkas A Hunger Artist

Artist Pain Exposed in Kafkas A Hunger Artist In A Hunger Artist, Kafka comments on the life of the modern artist through the life of a hunger artist. Kafka comments that the modern artist is always dissatisfied with his or her art. The modern artist also is trapped in a harsh and capricious world, in which the artist struggles to maintain his or her audience by pushing the extreme, but are cheated because they do not receive his or her recognition. Finally, in A Hunger Artist Kafka refers to the modern artists struggle between the need for fame and the need for isolation. As a modern artist, Kafka has experienced the qualities that characterize the modern artist and his experiences have greatly influenced his work,†¦show more content†¦In A Hunger Artist the artist joins the circus and wants to astound the world by setting a fasting record. However, the more the artist fasted the more the crowds ignored him. Critic R.O.C. Winkler suggests that the crowds ignored the artist because of a corruption in the relationships b etween humans.iii[iii] The corruption is seen when a passer-by stopped and looked at the old figure on the sign and spoke of swindling. The comment made by the passer-by cheated the hunger artist of his recognition, and showed the worlds inborn malice and indifference. The hunger artists eroded cage, comprised of dirty and illegible placards, the pointless sign tracking the days of the fast and dirty straw, further signified the corruption in the relationship between the hunger artist and the world. During Kafkas lifetime he saw a shift in his audiences attention and felt alienated by modern society.iv As the hunger artist sought the crowds attention he was also trapped in another struggle between his need for fame and his need for isolation. The struggle is seen when the artists cage was set up near the animals in the circus. As people walked to the menagerie they saw the artist and some stayed and stared and others rushed off to see the animals. Ironically, the artist disliked the people