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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what tense is "A Hunger Artist" written?

2. Those who are not content with the dim night lighting of the hall focused the artist in the full glare of what?

3. Who lends the watchers the bright light to focus on the artist?

4. What do most of the watchers think the artist is looking for?

5. For whom is the hunger artist often just a joke that happens to be in fashion?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens at the circus regarding the record of days the artist has spent fasting?

2. What does the artist think of his repast? What does the impresario do to prove the artist's heroism?

3. What does the artist experience of the audience at the circus?

4. What are the religious allusions?

5. How is the artist's situation "absurd" in "A Hunger Artist"?

6. What spectacle is there when the fast is over?

7. Why doesn't the artist quit his profession when interest dwindles? What does he do instead?

8. What causes the hunger artist and the impresario to part ways?

9. How does the impresario wrap up his sympathy routines in Part 2?

10. What is the artist's point of view regarding the impresario's excuses? What is his view of the audience reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss "A Hunger Artist "in terms of existentialist philosophy. What about the story conveys these concepts and ideas?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of self-hatred and inadequacy as it applies to the story and to the artist. How does the author convey this theme?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the artist and the panther. What adjectives are used to describe each? How do these compare in the eyes of the audience?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 706 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample