The Narrator

The narrator doubles as the main character in this story. He describes his experiences at the museum, and he narrates the events occurring at the museum, such as musicians and lecturers performing. Moreover, he serves the purpose of an omniscient narrator, describing the experiences of other visitors and the structure and layout of the museum.

The narrator is an important character, because he explores the salient themes in this story. For example, his descriptive language creates an atmosphere of surrealism. On the first page of the story, the narrator remarks that Tolstoy made him cry with the other visitors at the museum, and “paper streamers came out” (109) of their eyes. This creates a surreal image for the reader. The narrator also explores the comedic and satirical aspects of the story through his descriptions of events. For example, he reveals strange, irrelevant facts about Tolstoy, such as the...