Surrealism

Barthelme explores the theme of surrealism through the museum, its exhibits, and its architecture. Barthelme’s use of imagery, descriptive language, and illustrations further contribute to the exploration of this theme.

The architectural structure of the museum creates a surreal and bizarre image. The narrator describes the building as resembling three stacked “boxes” (112). The smallest box is the size of a shoebox, and it is the ground floor. The higher levels of the museum are progressively larger boxes, so the museum as a whole resembles an upside-down pyramid that looks as if it will topple over at any moment. This creates a bizarre image for the reader, because it appears to defy physics. Moreover, this image helps Barthelme achieve his goal of making the reader question his/her conceptions of reality to a point of discomfort. This is because the building appears to be on the...