There is a natural relation between the power of the panther and its beauty. We are terrified of the one, attracted to the other, and might do terrible things to please ourselves. Rilke is trying to show us things we might not notice about the panther so that we come to experience the panther as what it is. He suggests that beauty relates to knowledge, too, not merely to pleasure. We are supposed to understand the panther as what it is; its wholeness or its nature is that to which its beauty points. Caging it and being thrilled by the spectacle is preparing to deny that there is any such thing as nature. No, panthers can’t be domesticated, at least not any time soon. Domestication is a process that takes many, many years of selective breeding, even with naturally docile animals. Panthers are decidedly not docile and definitely not a good candidate for domestication. Wild Explained follows an established editorial policy. Therefore, you can assume that your interests are our top priority. Our editorial team is composed of qualified professional editors and our articles are edited by subject matter experts who verify that our publications, are objective, independent and trustworthy. Another interpretive division surrounds the issue of whether "A Hunger Artist" is meant to be read ironically. Some critics [ who?] consider the story a sympathetic depiction of a misunderstood artist who seeks to rise above the merely animal parts of human nature (represented by the panther) and who is confronted with uncomprehending audiences. Others [ who?] regard it as Kafka's ironic comment on artistic pretensions. The hunger artist comes to symbolize a joy-deprived man who shows no exuberance, who regards even his own tremendous discipline as inauthentic, and the panther who replaces him obviously is meant to show a sharp contrast between the two. Still, at least one interpretation is that Kafka is expressing the world's indifference to his own artistic scruples through the plight of the hunger artist. [1]

Hedda Gabler review at Reading Rep by Harriet Madeley

Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Medical University of South Carolina, 151-B Rutledge Avenue, MSC 962, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA A Hunger Artist" (German: "Ein Hungerkünstler") is a short story by Franz Kafka first published in Die neue Rundschau in 1922. The story was also included in the collection A Hunger Artist ( Ein Hungerkünstler), the last book Kafka prepared for publication, which was printed by Verlag Die Schmiede shortly after his death. The protagonist, a hunger artist who experiences the decline in appreciation of his craft, is typically Kafkaesque: an individual marginalized and victimized by society at large. "A Hunger Artist" explores themes such as death, art, isolation, asceticism, spiritual poverty, futility, personal failure and the corruption of human relationships. The title of the story has also been translated as " A Fasting Artist" and " A Starvation Artist". Building an enclosure capable of holding such a super-agile master of stealth as a leopard or jaguar is a) difficult and b) expensive, as is providing them with an appropriate diet. In fact, the exotic pet trade contributes to their dwindling numbers in the wild, as many “pet” panthers are wild-caught.The three of the most used plants are Pothos ( Epipremnum aureum), Umbrella Plant ( Schefflera arboricola) and the Ficus tree ( Ficus benjamina). Both the Umbrella Plant and Ficus tree may be placed on the bottom of the cage floor. Pothos is best as a trailing plant and can be mounted to the sides of the cage with equipment such as the Dragon Strand Dragon Ledges. So, should you have a pet panther? No, clearly not. These beautiful animals are not meant to be kept in homes and cages, as they are too wild, dangerous, and endangered. In a world where so many animals have evolved to live with humans are being killed in shelters because they cannot find a home and cannot be released into the wild. Not to mention potentially covering a lawsuit for when your beloved pet eats the neighbor’s dog and/or grandmother.

A Hunger Artist - Wikipedia

Until recently, many countries in the Middle East allowed exotic pet ownership, and many people did it as a sort of status symbol.Sometimes, these reactions can be triggered accidentally in captive panthers, particularly if they are not allowed to hunt (which pet panthers almost invariably aren’t). ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.