Response to pages 9-59 of Weschler

  

Weschler structures his ethnography in an interesting way. He begins by describing the physical aspects of the museum, using all five senses to bring the space to life for the reader. Then Weschler digs into historical context, telling the stories behind the ant, Sonnabend and Delani, and Griffith. Through the physical descriptions and historical analysis, Weschler holds the reader’s interest with emotional connection, from the dramatic story of Hester Boxbutte Thum’s death to the sad story of an ant unwillingly infecting its own kind.

This emotional connection is significant for Mr. Wilson as well. Wilson is clearly very connected to the material he presents in his museum. From the story he tells of his inspiration to start the museum, his ‘psychological awakening’, it is clear to Weschler and the reader that Wilson’s journey to coming to own the museum was not based on well-thought out decisions or planning, but on emotion and faith. Wilson and his wife Diana say that the museum has made their family poor. Still, they love and believe in the museum to the point where they are willing to be broke, even to raise their daughter in poverty, in order to keep it going.

            The emotional connection to the museum becomes important as Weschler begins to discover that much of the information presented at the museum may not be true. The story of Sonnabend and Delani, for instance, is not backed up by historical accounts or scientific fact; however, the reader feels connected to the story and wants it to be true. This seems true of Wilson as well. His love and belief in the museum may be more important than the fact that the information in it is not really true.