If you like stories with a traditional plot, this experimental story from Donald Barthelme may not be for you. Having said this, many reviewers rank it as one of Barthelme’s best. The narrator is the leader of a city besieged by “Comanches”. Interspersed with recounting the battle he shares random, disjointed memories, often expressed in unconventional language. A major theme is rebellion: the “Indians” are attacking the city, many of its unhappy citizens revolt and help them, and his girlfriend supports the Indians and wants nothing more to do with him. Other themes include violence, male-female relationships, deception and betrayal. More…
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The Baby (The First Thing the Baby Did Wrong)
This story by Donald Barthelme may be confronting for some readers because it appears to make light of an example of child abuse. Through exaggeration and humor, Barthelme leads us to his central theme: the coming of a baby can change the whole dynamics of family relationships. Most parents like to think that they are the ones in control. However, all too often they find themselves dancing to their child’s tune. By the end of the story, this baby has totally turned the tables. Some might even say that it has been guilty of a form of parental abuse! More…
The School
Strange things are happening in the school featured in this story by Donald Barthelme. First, all plants and animals in student projects die. Death seems to be everywhere when an adopted dog, sponsored Korean orphan, and higher than average numbers of parents pass on. Then, to cap it all off, two students are killed in an accident while playing on a building site. In order to experience renewal of life, students ask their teacher to demonstrate sex with his teaching assistant. But just as they kiss and things start to get interesting, something happens that makes the children cheer wildly. More…
A City of Churches
This story begins with a woman talking to a realtor about moving to the city of Prester to open a car rental business. As they talk, she notices that every building in the city is a church of some kind. Typical of Donald Barthelme, things get stranger. Nobody rents cars in Prester, but the city has a problem. It needs a girl to work in its car-rental agency to make the town ‘complete’. The girl has a special talent; she can will her dreams. When told she cannot leave, she threatens to dream the life [they] are most afraid of. More…
The King of Jazz
The King of Jazz provides a satirical account of several aspects of the American music scene. Donald Barthelme loved jazz, and his main target here are fickle music critics and the way they try to out-do each other with flowery and often meaningless language when describing performances. He also makes fun of the ‘cutting contests’ once used by musicians to judge themselves against one another and, in so doing, satirizes the system of ‘chair challenges’ that were (are?) common in U.S. school bands. Finally, he sends up the notion that American musicians are the preeminent force in world jazz. More…
The Balloon
A huge balloon appears unexpectedly one night, covering 20 city blocks of central Manhattan. Nobody knows why it is there, triggering varying initial responses. After a short time, people begin to accept the balloon simply because it exists. They no longer need to know why. Like the balloon, this story by Donald Barthelme may appear confusing at first because it appears to have no message or theme. Barthelme is satirizing our need to know “why” (find a purpose or meaning) before we can appreciate a creative expression… whether it be a balloon, a work of art, or a story. More…