XIII. Two Notes Summary and Analysis

In the first note, entitled "The Marx Brothers," Artaud writes about a movie called "Animal Crackers" and mentions that it is related to surrealism. The movie is magical because it associates words and images in a way that is out of the ordinary. It participates in creating a poetic state of mind unlike any movie before it. The author compares "Animal Crackers" with another movie by the same directors called "Monkey Business." He concludes that while Americans seem to consider these movies as mere humorous products, it is too bad for them that they fail to recognize the inner revolt that is conveyed by these combinations of images and sound.

In the second note, entitled "Autour D'une Mère," Artaud talks about a performance by Jean-Louis Barrault in which the mime plays a centaur-horse. Artaud says that...