Introduction
The two literary works by Melville and Kafka contain several important similarities that have to be considered when making any conclusions regarding the contents of the two stories. First of all, it can be noted how Frantz Kafka and Herman Melville utilize a similar language for their respective stories even though they come from different locations and times. Melville’s story tells the audience about Bartleby, a successful lawyer who also served as a scrivener. The nameless man from Kafka’s story, on the other hand, constantly traveled across Europe to showcase his ability to go on hunger strikes to rather large audiences. Bartleby, the Scrivener and The Hunger Artist are full of symbolism and metaphors that relate to isolation, denial, and starvation. The current essay will provide a detailed account of how the three topics affect the respective stories and alter the audience’s perception of the main characters.
Starvation
The idea of including starvation in The Hunger Artist allowed Kafka to separate his main character from numerous other protagonists. The willingness to give up on food to make a living seems to be farcical, but the artist delivers his relationship with food as a metaphor for the real world. The presence of constant pain makes it harder for the artist to exist as it also drives the audience’s interest in him. Kafka went further and included a description of a group of people “who preferred to stream to other attractions” when they finally had gotten used to the main character’s performances (6). Thus, the state of happiness could not be associated with food because the cruelties of life affected everyone, irrespective of whether they were hungry or full.
In Melville’s story of Bartleby, the scrivener’s quirkiness does not make him stand out in a positive light. Instead, the main character’s negative view of the world affects him to an extent where “he must be a vegetarian” in order to feel better or at least understand how the world around him functions (Melville 16). It led the scrivener to give up on food, much like the hunger artist, only to find out that it had no effect on his existence. This lack of fondness can be explained through the lens of a depressing life that Bartleby had lived trying to comply with society’s expectations. This is the main reason why the main character chooses to live without attention from others and dies of starvation.
Isolation
Even though isolation is not addressed in that much detail throughout the two stories, there are several important anchors to consider. Bartleby, for example, has access to practically every resource he might need to live peacefully (e.g., a job, money, and home), but he still isolates himself from the outside world. The loss of responsibility and the sense of being unable to achieve anything better still affect Bartleby to the extent that he chooses to deprive himself of food to highlight his isolation. This concept is not the same as denial because Bartleby simply does not want to change anything if it is going to require him to alter his morals. The main character simply chooses not to interfere with the natural ways of life in order to remain tangible and integral. Even the termination does not motivate Bartleby to give in to societal expectations because his self-isolation is the only way for him to stay true to his ideals.
At the same time, Kafka’s artist serves as a real-life example of a bird being placed in a cage – both literally and figuratively – for people to admire him. Nevertheless, the artist seems to live in isolation in an attempt to alienate himself and see how his inner world differs from the expectations displayed by people around him (Kafka 7).
Even though the main character saw other people praising him, it was disheartening for the artist to see how the public’s attention faded away due to people getting used to his mastery. Thus, when the artist chooses to go to jail and die of starvation, it becomes evident to the reader that the main character is indeed a free bird living in a cage. The artist is outlandish and careless, but it makes him more attractive as a character because it shows how he is always ready to prove a point, even if it requires him to die.
Denial
It is interesting to see how the two authors approach their characters when it comes to the problem of denial. Even though Bartleby does not follow the same life rules as Kafka’s Hunger Artist, he still sees his own hunger as an important part of his lifestyle. As Melville writes, Bartleby is “unused to dinners” because he is much more comfortable with denying nourishment (47). The cruelty of the outer world drives Bartleby toward a comprehensive idea that it is much more important to keep your integrity rather than give in to external stimuli. This is why he chooses to die of starvation, just like the Hunger Artist, because he does not seem to understand why he would like to continue living. Kafka’s main character is just as tragic because he recognizes that he is doomed and still keeps going. There is nothing left except for exceptionally dark beliefs related to the artist’s life, so he is disappointed by everything and everyone that surrounds him.
To sum it up, the theme of denial is clearly explored by Melville and Kafka in order to expose the false sense of happiness that can be brought by food. The two authors do not accept the idea that anything except for one’s values and personal integrity can play that much of a role during their existence. The need to deny negativity stems from the fact that food is omnipresent and cannot be escaped easily. Thus, there is no way for people to avoid denial if they acknowledge the rules of life but refuse to give in to the community’s urges.
Conclusion
Melville and Kafka seem to have explored the issues of denial, alienation, and starvation in completely different ways. Nevertheless, their dedication to conveying the idea that the identity of a person is created through what they do to realize their potential is stellar. The purpose of Bartleby, the Scrivener and The Hunger Artist was to ensure that human beliefs are put at the forefront, with the main characters outlining why identity and perseverance are fundamental. For the hunger artist, it was impossible to give up going on hunger strikes because this activity became a part of him over time. If he chose to refrain from fasting completely, he would cease being himself. As for Bartleby, the notions of denial, isolation, and starvation uncover the main character’s unwillingness to become a slave to society and give in to the outside world. Thus, these stories are both similar and different at the same time while acknowledging that inherent values drive humanity and help it evolve.
Works Cited
Kafka, Franz. A Hunger Artist. Phoenix Classics Ebooks, 2021.
Melville, Herman. Bartleby the Scrivener — A Story of Wall Street. Good Press, 2020.