This story is told primarily from the perspective of a "hunger artist," who fasts for up to forty days at a time while sitting in a cage scattered with straw, which is placed on display in a public location, as a form of mass entertainment. In the opening line, the reader is informed that public interest in the "art" of fasting has declined in recent years.

At the height of the hunger artist's career, and of public interest in his performances, things were different. The whole town would "take a lively interest" in his performances; most people made a point of looking at him at least once a day, and the children, most of all, were enthralled by him. To prove that he was not sneaking any food, local men, usually butchers, were assigned to guard the cage at night. The artist was always frustrated by...