The Hunger Artist

"The Hunger Artist" by Franz Kafka is a story of sideshow performer, who was the main attraction of the fair in the past. A the time of the narrative, however, with the interest in his craft declining, he is reduced to a pit stop on the way to the animal cages at a large circus. Forgotten by the circus staff and the public, he slowly withers away. With his dying breath he rejects his art and his own significance, attempting to convince the public that he simply fasted because he did not enjoy the taste of food.
This is a story of a misunderstood artist (hence the title). At the height of his fame, he believes that the public is what is preventing him from achieving new heights in his art. As the crowd leave him behind, however, and he is able to shatter his old records, he begins to understand that the crowd is what makes him significant. As he whispers his dying breath, he comes to terms with the fact that he will die misunderstood and gives up on the world.
The story is very autobiographical for Kafka. He too, felt misunderstood and abandoned by the public, and even left instructions to burn his unpublished work after his death. He was also suffering from tuberculosis which made eating very painful for him. The story creates a rare glimpse into the mind of an artist, struggling with the issues of his importance to art world as well as the physical aspects of fasting.