Essay Questions

How is the theme of conscience and pride discussed in the novel?

The author struggles with maintaining his dignity while enduing the relentlessness of hunger. It is humorous to note that he is actually embarrassed by the dual experience of hunger and poverty, concerned more of what people will think of him rather than alleviating his hunger. This theme is primarily seen in the scenario where he was handed five crowns to help tide him over for a couple of days. Upon receiving such a generous amount he actually struggles with guilt and rather than gratefully use it he gives the money to the first street vendor he encounters. Giving the money fills him up with a misguided sense of pride that quickly dissipates when hunger strikes. He hurriedly makes his way back to the vendor and begins to quickly eat her pies saying that the money he gave was actually advance payment. These strange cycles of sudden surges of pride contrasted with pangs of misplaced guilt riddle the whole novel.

What does hunger symbolize in the novel?

Hunger is the most quintessential, most primordial, and more universal of human experiences. Everyone has had at one point or another experienced hunger. Hunger therefore is symbolic of humanity and the condition of being human--frail and in need of so many conditions to be fulfilled in order to survive. It is also interesting to note that the author writes of hunger as a reality; a matter-of-fact condition or situation that imposes itself upon him rather than treating it like an opponent to be bested.

What is the significance of the title of the novel?

The title of the novel alludes to the very visceral experience of near-constant hunger that the author endured before he achieved fame and financial success as an author. The experience of hunger serves many different purposes in the novel: it is a plot driver, a thematic element, and in some situations treated almost like a character spoken about in reported language. Hunger is also the catalyst for many of the humorous instances in the novel as well as a goad that spark many of the author’s philosophical musings on life and the human condition.