Perception and Ignorance

Throughout the short story Don’t you have any donkeys in your country? there are times when something that looks completely worthless is sold as something that is very valuable (or vice versa). This idea occurs throughout the short story. For example, the man-who-was-interested-in-rugs bought a rug that was worth at least thirty thousand dollars for one dollar (102). To the shop owner’s friend it just looked like a piece of an old carpet, but to the man who was interested in rugs, it was a sacred artifact. Another example is when the shop owner’s friend couldn’t believe that the donkey sold for two thousand five hundred liras when the donkey to him was completely worthless (101). Because the man-who-was-interested-in-rugs just wanted to buy the cloth on the donkey he was willing to pay two thousand five hundred liras. Also the man-who-was-interested-in-rugs was taking advantage of other peoples ignorance. In the end his own ignorance of thinking that all the peasants were unaware of what was valuable is what made him buy the donkey at a ridiculous price. In the end it was the trickster that was tricked. Mainly the theme of this story is the different ways of perception and people taking advantage of someone else’s ignorance.