Starvation by Knut Hamsun
A masterpiece that deeply portrays the psyche of modern humans, who feel painful and alienated through the instinct of hunger.
Introduction
"My hunger was cruel beyond belief. I knew how my shameless appetite would end."
Without any other tragedy or action, the autobiographical novel "Starvation," by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, delves deeply into the human psyche. Published when the author was 32 years old, the novel depicts intense poverty and starvation experienced by the author himself in the winter of 1886, vividly illustrating the agonizing and marginalized psyche of modern humans.
Considered Norway's national author, Knut Hamsun was born in 1859 as the son of a poor farmer. Due to difficult family circumstances, he did not receive a formal education. His passion for literature was evident as he self-published a novel at the age of 17. Despite pursuing the American Dream and trying various professions in the United States, he eventually returned home. Perhaps due to this experience, he developed a critical view of American civilization. With the publication of "Starvation" in 1890, Hamsun gained literary attention and went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920.
This work not only depicts physical starvation but also reveals the author's longing for recognition from others. Praised for its subdued narration of the protagonist's story and its impeccable portrayal of his psychological state, "Starvation" was selected as one of the top 100 works by the Nobel Institute.
Characters
The story is narrated in the first person. The protagonist is the author, referred to as 'I.' His exact name is not known, as he never reveals it in the work and goes by various aliases.
He meets a woman in the city of Christiania, whom he calls Ilallali. Besides her, various other characters appear, but these two men and women are the main characters.
Plot Summary
The protagonist, a struggling writer living in Christiania, Norway, faces severe hardships in his life. Unable to earn money, he goes through long periods without proper meals, trapped in a miserable situation. Having pawned many of his belongings, he even strips off his vest and manages to get some money to buy bread and cheese.
One day, while wandering around the city, he encounters two women near the cathedral and playfully follows them. The women assume he is drunk.
Returning to his boarding house, he suddenly feels inspired and begins writing. He visits the editor of a newspaper to submit his manuscript. Despite contemplating pawning his blanket due to extreme hunger, he refrains from doing so upon realizing it was borrowed from someone else.
Later, he receives a letter from the newspaper, informing him that his manuscript has been accepted, along with a payment of 10 kroner. This alleviates his hunger for a while.
However, after a few weeks, he exhausts the money and once again finds himself starving. He spends a night in a police station as a vagrant and experiences eerie sensations in the darkened room, suffering from mental distress due to prolonged starvation.
Desperate for money, he tries to pawn his clothes' buttons at a pawnshop but is rejected. Disheartened, he coincidentally meets a friend outside the pawnshop, who gives him 5 kroner out of pity. Despite managing to survive for a week with the money, he eventually faces starvation again.
He visits the newspaper editor to present his written work, but the editor brushes him off, claiming to be too busy. Offered advanced payment for his manuscript if he urgently needs money, he rejects it out of pride.
One day, while begging for candles at a shop, he receives both the candles and change due to a clerk's mistake, thinking he paid. With the unexpected money, he buys food and encounters a woman on his way back to the boarding house, who turns out to be one of the two women he met near the cathedral. They grow closer, and he affectionately calls her Ilallali. In an attempt to impress her, he mistakenly gives away the change he received to a street vendor selling snacks.
Struggling with severe poverty, the protagonist is visited by the editor, who encourages him by giving him 10 kroner and urging him to write good articles with the money. Afterwards, he visits Ilallali's house, but upon learning about his dire circumstances, Ilallali decides to part ways with him.
As winter sets in, he stays in a cheap boarding house with the money given by the editor. However, when the landlady asks for his assistance, he fails to solve her problem, leading to her disdainful attitude towards him, believing him to be penniless and talentless.
Eventually, he loses his room to another guest and is left with no choice but to rely on the hospitality of the landlady to survive the cold winter days.
One day, he receives 10 kroner from Ilallali, but out of pride, he throws the money back at the landlady and leaves. Starving, he seeks out the street vendor whom he had given all his change to previously and consumes all the pastries on display.
Subsequently, he persuades a ship's captain at the harbor to hire him as a crew member. He boards the ship and sails to another city, concluding his journey.
Review
The act of eating and preserving one's dignity in life are deeply intertwined. In this work, the protagonist, referred to as 'I', struggles not only with the act of eating but more frequently with the challenge of preserving his dignity in life. Whether chewing on stale bread or retching after consuming bones acquired from the butcher, 'I' does not hesitate to give to others when he comes into money. This act is not one of charity but rather a desperate struggle to avoid being reduced to mere prey.
Aside from the intense hunger and suffering, there isn't much else to the story. There are no new developments or shifts in direction; the focus remains squarely on the protagonist's hunger from start to finish. While this may seem simplistic, it's worth considering why this work is considered a masterpiece.
The story can be seen as a narrative of the protagonist's hunger and, perhaps, his desire to succeed as a writer. Such hunger and ambition can be viewed as representative of our own desires. In fact, we all live with desires akin to those of the protagonist—whether for food or success.
The protagonist consistently receives timely assistance to alleviate his hunger, but it's always temporary. Soon enough, he finds himself starving once again. This cycle mirrors our own lives; even when we satisfy one desire, it's only a matter of time before we crave something else. We must inevitably live while striving to fulfill our desires. There's a saying that without dreams or goals, one grows old. If one believes there's nothing left to do or aspire to, what lies ahead in their future? What becomes of their vitality and drive? Thus, this work can be seen as a portrayal of humanity's insatiable desires.
Ultimately, humans can be seen as beings driven by desire. This work, portraying the constant sense of lack and yearning in humans, earns its place among timeless masterpieces.
A notable aspect in this work is the protagonist's feeling of disgust when witnessing others eat.
"The wrinkled, claw-like hands of the old woman clutched the greasy, buttered bread, oozing with filth. It made me sick to my stomach."
The small table in front of her was littered with delicious treats, the legs of the table giving way, as if melting into the delectable spread. I turned my head, the rain annoying me.
If one is starving and yearning for food, it's common to feel even hungrier or envious when seeing others eat. However, the protagonist does not share this sentiment. There must be a reason why the author portrays the protagonist's psyche in this manner.
In fact, it prompts one to ponder whether we harbor feelings of disgust stemming from competition when it comes to people who possess the same desires as us. Instead of experiencing vicarious satisfaction when someone else possesses what we desire but cannot have, perhaps we feel a kind of jealousy that leads to disgust, turning away from it. It's a blatant display of the repulsion felt when someone else has what we want. It's akin to gossiping about the soon-to-be husband of a close friend within an unmarried circle.
Portrayal of Human Psyche
This work depicts the wretched psyche of humans remarkably well. The protagonist, suffering from hunger, is constantly in conflict between the instinctive urge to alleviate hunger and the voice of conscience urging moderation.
To satisfy hunger, he is willing to do anything, but each time he is restrained by his conscience. Yet, simultaneously, mocking his conscience is the inevitable reality of hunger.
"Pledging other people's belongings for a meal,
Feasting on self-condemnation,
Brazenly becoming a scoundrel,
Bowing his head in front of his conscience. Absolutely unacceptable."
However, on the other hand,
"This time, you must be serious. Don't do foolish things.
Conscience? Don't be childish.
You're too poor to hold onto your conscience. You're hungry, aren't you?"
Such direct dialogue vividly expresses the conflict of conscience. We all live while sometimes ignoring our conscience to survive and at other times suppressing instincts due to the voice of conscience. Such contradictory thoughts tend to appear more dramatically and intensely in the dismal reality. It seems that this work adeptly portrays such psychological nuances.
Conclusion
Curiosity arose about how realistically the author depicted his autobiographical novel, but the truth is, the content is not particularly interesting or captivating. However, what intrigued me more than the content was the author's actions. Despite possessing enough talent to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, he betrayed his homeland and collaborated with the Nazis. It's a personal issue, but I wondered why. The author had a problem with his social responsibility. As he was admired by many people, his influence was immense, yet his life seemed dark and melancholic.
Pursuing one's dreams often leads to encountering practical issues. Having confidence is good. Following the right path is also good. However, shouldn't one at least maintain a minimum level of self-respect? What hope can one derive from oneself, who has ruined both body and mind?