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.
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