Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby

A central theme in Barthelme’s “Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby” is the absurdity and banality of violence. Barthelme uses humor and satire to depict the group’s casual approach toward planning Colby’s hanging, a violent act portrayed as a straightforward administrative process. This juxtaposition of severe violence and everyday banality creates a disquieting atmosphere that serves to critique and satirize society’s desensitization to violence.

In the story, the characters exhibit a lack of emotional response to the violence they plan to inflict on their friend, Colby. The decision to hang Colby is treated with the same level of gravitas as planning a dinner party might warrant, as the group discusses the logistical aspects of the execution with alarming detachment. Hanging a friend for going “too far” is transformed into a logistical problem to solve, with aesthetic considerations given undue prominence.

The group’s focus on such details, instead of the act’s moral implications, illustrates how violence is trivialized. The story exposes the ease with which individuals can absolve themselves of responsibility when actions are taken collectively. The group’s members distance themselves from their personal responsibility for the violent act by focusing on the technical aspects of execution.