Day: August 29, 2023

Introduction to Comparison of “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

       Like the stories, “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”no two pieces of literature are the same, it happens that sometimes two pieces bear resemblance even though two artists do the same work in different situations, in different environments, and under the influence of different philosophies and ideas. Gabriel Garcia Marques, the proponent of magical realism, has no resemblance with Kafka of the same country as both have lived in different times, yet there are several points in their stories “The Hunger Artists” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” that resemble each other. On the character level, the old man with wings could be compared to the hunger artist of Kafka in that both have bizarre mental and physical traits that a normal person can possess and they differ from each other in this in this connection. At the same time, there is a great resemblance in the setting in which they are set that readers get a different picture from one story as compared to the other. The setting of both the stories in terms of audience differs a great deal. It is also that whereas one is demonstrating magical realism, the other is showing Kafkaesque philosophy of self-inflicted torture only to amuse the readers. It could be stated that the hunger artists have no whatsoever resemblance to the old man with enormous wings but their handlers such as the manager of the hunger artists and Pleyaho and Elisenda bear a resemblance. Both managers and administrators of these two different characters manipulate them to their own ends. The role of the audience, too, is very important in both that in both situations, the people get bored with time and lose their interest. Therefore, the stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”could be compared on the level of setting, the role of the audience, the interests of the handlers of the respective main characters, and then the difference in the philosophy presented in these stories.

Setting in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

Whereas the setting is concerned, it bears a certain resemblance. The hunger artist is dying to win the attention of the public and he succeeds in winning it in the beginning when the people come in queues to see him bearing the pangs of hunger. Kafka clearly states in the beginning that the “audience’s involvement grew from day to day” (Kafka 489), when he starts fasting. The children were keener to look at him. The hunger artist is placed in a rural environment where he can show his skill of bearing hunger to the people. The people come in throngs to watch his feat. A manager is arranging everything for him though he is lying to the people. In explaining the story, Richard To Garry states that “Throngs of spectators are drawn” within the given setting where no geographical point has been given or explained (Garry 132). However, the setting of the story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is entirely different because. There is a geographical location of the village where Pelayo and Elisenda live and the old man, somehow, falls in their yard. However, the situation is almost the same in that throngs of people queue up to watch this with great interest as the whole “neighborhood [was] [there to see the] angel” (Marquez 802). The major difference lies in the geographical location. It is not specified in the case of the hunger artists as he has been taken to tour the entire Europe, whereas, in the case of Pelayo and Elisenda, it is their village where they have become rich enough to have their son treated and construct their homes afresh. However, both of these resemble in narrator that in both there is an omniscient narrator who sits somewhere high above the setting and the character and comments on their lives. Literally, there is a carnival in this story, while it seems almost the same scene in the first one “The Hunger Artist” where it is a game for the people (Pelayo 72). Therefore, to some extent the setting in terms of the carnival type of presentation is similar in both stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.”

Handlers in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

However, the great similarity lies in handlers in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” The handler in the case of the hunger artist is his nameless manager. The artist whispers whatever he feels to the manager who starts or ends his show whenever he wants but against his will of what he wants to say to the people. There was clearly a world of misunderstanding as the artist does not want to convey to the people what he wants to convey and the manager does not convey to the people what the artist wants to say. “This perversion of the truth … unnerved him” (492) though he does not show it to the people but feels it strongly. Although there are not much active audiences in the case of the very old man with wings, still Pelayo and Elisenda have some other people who do the work for them to make it known such as the neighbor woman “who knew everything” (803). She has concluded that he is an angel and has also done the work of spreading the news in the whole village. Several others also comment about him, and Father Gonzaga, too, declares otherwise, the managers set a ticket for the show. Soon they start earning in the same way as the manager of the hunger artist has done. In one way, there is no difference between both the managers as one is completely aware of the lies that are being told disregard of whatever he thinks, while in the case of the old man, all lies have been concocted not by the managers but by the people living around them. However, the interests of all these managers in both stories are the same which is to earn something for a living. It is because the owners, Marquez writes “had not reason to lament” because they have saved enough to “built a two-story mansion with balconies and gardens” (805) while in the case of the hunger artist, the circus hirs him after he loses his worth. The interest is again money in both stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.”

Audiences/Readers of “The Hunger Artist” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

Although the writers’ audiences are their readers, both stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” have separate audiences. In the first story “The Hunger Artist” the audience comes to see the feat of the hunger artist that he shows them in the shape of fasting for a long time. He is intoxicated with the popularity that he is winning among the people. They are coming to watch him in queues. When the show ends, the audiences are satisfied with what they see but the artist is not satisfied. With the passage of time, the behavior of people changes. It is because the public wants to see something new, not the same old person going hungry for them. Therefore, the hunger artist is “deserted by the pleasure-seeking crowds” (384). It means that the audience has lost interest in him. Therefore, he joins a circus but then the people only come to see the animals placed near him. They do not think to have any interest in him. He loses his worth and his life with time. The same happens with the old man. The people come to see him in queues when they hear the news. However, with the passage of time, they lose interest in him and soon they forget that there is an angel, or a devil in the midst of them. However, at the same time, there is a difference because in the first story the audience does not see a strange creature but a living man like them who is doing a feat of fasting longer than an ordinary man can do. However, in the case of the second, there is a strange creature like an angel that is before the audience and they lose interest after looking at him. There may have been the possibility that the managers would have taken this angel to a world tour and made the whole world take an interest, but it is a farfetched idea. It is merely the use of magical realism to show how people lose interest howsoever strange thing may be there.

Eccentrics in “The Hunger Artist” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

However, in the garb of this artist, Kafka has presented the role of people and the nature of some eccentrics who inflict injuries on themselves merely because they want to entertain the people, knowing little that the people always want something new, not caring that the artist is losing his life. It could be that Kafka’s philosophy is to show his own situation he was placed in. A lecturer in English, Bushra Naz, states that “The Hunger Artist” is seen as an ensemble of signs and signifiers” (Naz 71-75). By this, she means that it is the biography of the artist and the conceptualization of his philosophy into his story that is being reflected through his characters. She has also commented on his other novel, The Metamorphosis, to show the inner self of the artist. However, in the case of Gabriel Garica Marquez, it is his magical realism, a technique, with which he presents esoteric and stranger characters in a situation where the willing suspension of disbelief of T. S. Eliot is automatically at work. The people start believing that it could happen to them, too. Magical realism lies at the heart of the storytelling art of Garcia Marquez but at the same time, he does not leave attacking the current realities of life (Kennedy).  Therefore, both stories depict the philosophies and ideas of the writers.

Conclusion

It is also that both the major characters the hunger artists as well as the old man with enormous wings are symbols in the stories, “The Hunger Artist” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” However, in the case of Kafka, the hunger artist is a symbol of an artist who goes through pain to please the people living around him. In terms of setting, audiences, and characters, the stories have certain resemblances but the timing and the purposes could be different for which theoretical purposes could be applied to both stories to have deeper understanding.

Works Cited

1. Kafka, Franz. “A Hunger Artists” Charters, Anne. The Story and Its Writer. New York: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 488-494.
2. Garry, Richard, T. A Franz Kafka Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press. 2005. Print. 74-92.
3. Pelayo, Ruben. Gabriel Garica Marquez. Greenwood Press. 2001. Print. 72-73.
4. Naz, Bushra. “Hope of Death as the Possibility of Life: A Psychosemiotic Reading of Franz Kafka”s The Hunger Artist as the Narrative of Existence into Non-Being.” PJSS. 31(1). (June 2011). 65-77.
5. Kennedy. “ The Origins of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Magic Realism.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic. 17 April 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2015.

Questions:

1. How do the themes of isolation and alienation manifest in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” and what do they reveal about the human condition in each story?
2. Both “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” feature characters who are outsiders or marginalized in society. How do the authors use these characters to comment on the treatment of those who are different or unusual?
3. In “The Hunger Artist,” the protagonist seeks to express himself through extreme self-deprivation, while in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the focus is on the mysterious arrival of a supernatural being. How do these different narrative approaches shape the stories’ messages about human fascination and cruelty?
4. The concept of spectacle and entertainment plays a significant role in both stories, with the hunger artist’s fasting and the old man with wings becoming a sideshow attraction. How do these narratives explore the ethics of exploiting others for entertainment and profit?
5. “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” both challenge conventional notions of reality and the supernatural. How do the authors use elements of the surreal and the fantastical to comment on the limitations of human understanding and belief systems in these stories?

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Introduction to Characters in Pride and Prejudice

A good reading of the characters in Pride and Prejudice in terms of understanding their sketches shows that Jane Austen’s art not only lies in creating natural and down-to-earth real characters but also in demonstrating the qualities that real human beings possess. Her wonderful capability is almost equal to great English writers in making her characters look like real human beings, having shortcomings, strengths, and idiosyncrasies. As a lady of good upbringing, she is not only conscious of the role of minute social mannerisms but also the violation of the accepted norms and values. Though she has confined herself to the country people, she has also sketched yeomen and laborers as ably as she has done other characters. It is also that characters have been created in such a way that the audiences or the readers never know what is going to happen next with which character on account of his action. In this lies the real art of the writer in the making and breaking of the impression of some specific characters. The art of Jane Austen of creating characters in Pride and Prejudice lies in showing good characters doing bad actions and bad doing good actions, making the readers shift their sympathies, liking and disliking simultaneously. Jane Austen’s talent for creating unique and real human characters in Pride and Prejudice lies in creating individuals with specific traits, their revelation through their own conversations, and their exposure through comparison and contrast to other characters.

Special Character Traits

Almost all characters in Pride and Prejudice have their special character traits, which make them unique and stand out amongst the others of their ilk. Just take the example of a typical wife, Mrs. Bennet, who is not only self-indulgent but also vacuous, is always busy finding matches for her daughters. In the opinion of her husband, Mr. Bennet, she is “a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper” (Austen 04). She is a butt of jokes for her husband due to her idiosyncrasies and ignorance, while Mr. Bennet is highly entertaining. He was a “mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character” (04). As a father of five girls, he perhaps shirks their company and lives mostly in his library, but he dares to take up the blame when he could not find Lydia and Wickham in London after their elopement, stating “No Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame” (91). In fact, such a confession of one’s negligence is quite rare even in real life. But it is still real in Austen that despite disparaging Mrs. Bennet, he owns the blame that he could not take care of Lydia’s rash behavior in the case of going fast to marriage. Though Austen has not blamed any other male character, it is typical of her that she has made her character speak out. Even her best characters have their own specific traits such as Elizabeth, of which Austen has a great liking as she has mentioned about her in her letter written to her sister (Austen 1995). She is not only witty and intelligent but also quick in learning and fast in entertaining others with her humor. She has “something more of her quickness than her sisters” (04) as her father likes her for this. Austen adds that “she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous” (08). Austen is not limited to these characters only, for each character in Pride and Prejudice has a peculiar habit and a character trait, which highlights Austen’s art in making all of them real. It is also that they have not been repeated anywhere even in other novels. Despite keeping their individualities intact, she has made them universal in which lies her uniqueness because this is what makes a character memorable and close to reality. Her comprehension of the nature of her characters shows what they are such as Wickham is an unprincipled ruffian, Mr. Bennet is a humoros father, Mr. Darcy is a priggish but thoughtful young man, Elizabeth is a sagacious lady, Mrs. Bennet is a typical mother of girls, and Lydia is a silly and stupid girl.

Conversational Style of Characters in Pride and Prejudice

A person is best known through his / her conversation. Until he speaks, nobody can tell what sort of a person he/she is, how he/she would react and nothing can be predicted about him/her. Perhaps, Austen has this evaluative paradigm in mind when she revealed most of her characters in Pride and Prejudice through their conversation. This makes her portrayal of characters even more realistic and closer to reality than through any other act. Although they seem perfect characters like Elizabeth and Darcy, they are not liked or idealized in such a way that the people start making them paragons of virtues. Therefore, wherever any of her characters speak, he or she speaks with special reference to her own qualities and traits. The conversation between Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet reveals the characters of both in that one is empty-headed and obsessed with the idea of getting her daughters married, while the other is a well-read person, having an eye on the situation around him and a ridiculous outlook of his wife. Referring to her nerves he states, “I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least” (04). This shows that he always sees the funny side of life in his wife. Similarly, Elizabeth and Darcy are always on bad terms in their conversation but ultimately know each other after they are exposed through their dialogues with each other.  Letter writing of Collin and Lydia reveals their characters, while Elizabeth is mostly exposed through her careful way of speaking. As the best exposure is self-exposure, at least two of Austen’s characters find themselves or discover themselves; Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth. The former confesses his fault for his carelessness toward Lydia. He confesses it when he returns from London after not finding them. However, the case of later is different as she could not judge Mr. Darcy and says that she has merely “gratified [her] in useless or blameable distrust” (122). It could be said that though this is a self-discovery, still it is in the hands of Austen to put it into the mouths of her characters in Pride and Prejudice. Another important point is that several characters talk about other characters with somebody else. This also exposes their thinking about others and reveals other characters. This technique is very useful in that it reveals how a character thinks about the other ones, such as Darcy and Elizabeth think quite contrary to each other and comment against each other when they are talking to others.

Colorful Characters in Pride and Prejudice

It is also that the characters in Pride and Prejudice is a gallery of characters, Jane Austen has put several characters in comparison and contrast to others. This technique highlights their strengths and weaknesses,  making them prominent or likable to the readers or vice versa. Their comparison and contrast also balance the character of one person and accentuate that of the others. Mrs. Bennet is well known for her being a butt of ridicule from her husband but Lady Catherine is also there, who not only balances her but also sometimes makes her look a serious thinking lady, because of the latter’s proud and arrogant behavior when meeting others. Similarly, the arrival of Darcy makes Bingley looks pale in his presence, while he proves a foil for him. On the other hand, Wickham serves as a contrast to both of them. Whereas Darcy is a cold type of person, very serious, guarded, and a fatherly figure because of being a distinguished person, Bingley, in comparison to him, seems quite naïve and simpleton. Similarly, whereas Lydia is a romantic and stupid in worldly affairs, Charlotte Lucas, a friend of Elizabeth, just proves very pragmatic. She immediately accepts the proposal of Collins, as she knows, once gone is always gone. However, Jane Austen is not limited to this. She has also presented somewhat three-dimensional characters which makes it easy to understand how a person could be of varied nature at the same time as it happens in life. There is no prediction about any person in real life. In fact, Jane Austen has used a three-dimensional technique that is to use conversation, the point of view of others, and also her own description apart from the actions of the characters themselves. For example, Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet have been described at the end of the first chapter but not before they have revealed themselves through their lively conversation, while Mr. Bennet also reveals his inner goodness of heart through his actions when he tells her that he has already met Mr. Bingley.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, Jane Austen’s characters in Pride and Prejudice are as intricate as other living human beings are because they have been taken from the everyday life of the English countryside gentry. They reveal her minute and comprehensive observation of human nature so that she could depict that in her characters. None could deny that there are no mothers like Mrs. Bennet, no haughty and arrogant ladies like Mrs. Catherine, no sagacious but down-to-earth realistic girls like Elizabeth, and no flirts like Wickham. However, it is her art that she has put every character at the right place with specific character traits, mannerisms, virtues, and vices to play a specific role in the romantic maze of “Pride and Prejudice.” Not only do they expose themselves but also expose others, and reveal their natures through actions toward others and toward themselves. In fact, Jane Austen has done nothing else to pick up real-life characters and wrap them into her own philosophy of the pursuit of conjugal life.

Works Cited

1. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Project Gutenberg Electronic Texts. 2004. Online.
2. Austen, Jane. Jane Austen’s Letters .ed. Deirdre Le Faye. Oxford University Press. New York.  1995. Print.

Questions:

1. How does Jane Austen use a blend of natural and idealized traits in her characters in Pride and Prejudice?
2. In what ways do the characters in Pride and Prejudice represent the authentic human experiences and emotions of their time, despite being fictional creations?
3. Explore the concept of character foils in the novel. How do characters like Elizabeth and Jane, or Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, serve to highlight different facets of human nature and society?
4. Discuss the role of social class and status in shaping the characters in Pride and Prejudice.
5. How does the character development of key characters in Pride and Prejudice contribute to the overall themes of personal growth and self-awareness in the novel?

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Introduction to Humanity in “The Cabuliwala”

Based on an Afghan figure, humanity in “The Cabuliwala” shows Tagore’s art. It is also that a person, if he was from some alien culture, was rarely accepted in the other culture during the previous century, specifically in the Indian sub-continent. Foreigners were either considered occupiers, the British, or kidnappers, the Afghanis, as is the case of Rahman in “The Cabuliwala” by Rabindranath Tagore.  This has been expressed by Tagore’s wife that she considers Rahman as a kidnapper to be kept under “watchful eye” (Tagore 3). However, Tagore discovers a particular charm in him with which he seems fascinated. This fascination for the Cabuliwalla arouses Tagore’s sympathy for the foreigners, his generosity for the poor, and his love for the lower class and their children, showing humanity in “The Cabuliwala.”

Stereotyping in “The Cabuliwala”

When Tagore finds that his daughter is attracted to a common street vendor, the Cabuliwalla, he does not pay much attention to this except to remove the terror of his Mini. It is because she has “a blind belief “ that he is a kidnapper (2). After all, most people from Afghanistan have been dubbed as kidnappers of children. His wife also considers him so, as she questions Tagore on the same grounds. However, Rahman arouses Tagore’s sympathy for him because he proves “very patient listener” (3) to his daughter that he himself is not; thus proving that he is a good human being. Secondly, he offers “brigs of nuts and almonds” (4) to Mini, who is dear to Tagore, showing his humanity in “The Cabuliwala.” In this way, he, despite being a foreigner, wins his sympathy.

Human Love in “The Cabuliwala”

Rahman also wins his generosity though it happens at the end after his long reflection. Tagore only thinks of him as a street merchandiser. Cabuliwala does not touch his heart even when he is arrested though he comes to greet Mini and makes fun of himself to make Mini laugh saying, “I would have thrashed that old father-in-law but my hands are bound” (3) as he is under arrest. “The time passed and he was forgotten” by Tagore as is usual but when he appears at the end, brings gifts for Mini without accepting money, and says “I too have one like her in my own home” (5) this touches Tagore’s heart. He thinks of Tagore’s daughter as his own and then brings hundred rupees out of his pocket though he curtails the festivities of his daughter. This is how Rahman arouses his generosity and Tagore demonstrates humanity in “The Cabuliwala.”

Equality among Children in “The Cabuliwala”

This generosity is also a sort of love for the lower-class people and the lower-class children. Tagore knows that the Cabuliwalla, Rahman, is from Afghanistan, which is quite far away. He cannot go to his homeland due to bad financial conditions as he has lost his prime years in jail. Therefore, when he brings gifts for Mini, he thinks about him as a human being having a heart and then thinks of his daughter and home. His heart melts, and he states, “Tears came to my eyes. I forgot that he was a poor Cabuli fruit seller, while I was…” (6). This difference in class arouses his human heart, which makes him think about Rahman and his daughter, and sacrifice his daughter’s wedding to pay him money. This is another evidence of humanity in “The Cabuliwala.”

Conclusion of “The Cabuliwala”

The story, thus, proves that Tagore has a human heart and his story is an ample proof of his showing humanity in “The Cabuliwala.” He is not only a great writer but also a great human being, who, merely by the good gesture of a street vendor, understands his great heart and assesses his own situation. This made him fascinated even more not by his appearance as he used to be, but by his big heart that he brings gifts for his daughter though he has nothing, while he could not give her anything despite having everything. This is not only a way to make him a good human being but also it is his good gesture that fills him with good emotions and passions that he understands his difficulties.

Works Cited

Tagore, Rabinderanath. “The Cabuliwalla.” n.d. Wyne. http://www.is.wayne.edu/MNISSANI/Fall2003/Cabuliwallah.htm Accessed 04 Nov. 2022.

NOTE: It is a student essay for illustrative purposes only. You can borrow ideas and write your own essay.

Questions

1. How does the character of Rahman, the Cabuliwala, serve as a symbol of humanity in the story, and what does his relationship with Mini reveal about the universal bonds that connect people across cultures?
2. In “The Cabuliwala,” we see moments of both kindness and misunderstanding between the Indian society and the Cabuliwala. How does the story depict the complexities of human interactions and the potential for empathy even in the face of cultural differences?
3. The story raises questions about the impact of time on human relationships, as Mini grows up and Rahman returns after several years. How does the theme of humanity intersect with the theme of time in the story, and what does it suggest about the enduring nature of human connections?

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