The narrator, dressed as a homeless person, visits the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City to observe how people react to him. Despite initial hesitation from security, he is allowed to enter the museum after offering to pay. Inside, he approaches various people, including museum staff, tourists, and foreigners, to gauge their reactions. While some, like the museum staff and a few friendly foreigners, treat him kindly, many others, including some tourists and foreigners, display subtle or overt classism, ignoring or rejecting him due to his appearance. The narrator reflects on the experience, noting that culture and appreciation for art should not be defined by social status or appearance.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator is in Mexico City, standing in front of the Palace of Fine Arts.
2. The narrator is dressed as a vagabond.
3. The narrator tries to enter the museum but is initially not allowed in.
4. The narrator is eventually allowed to enter the museum after agreeing to pay the entrance fee.
5. The narrator approaches a museum staff member and asks about a work of art, and is treated respectfully.
6. The narrator approaches a group of people who are not museum staff, and some of them ignore or reject them.
7. The narrator notices that people's reactions to them are influenced by their appearance as a vagabond.
8. The narrator approaches a group of Asian tourists who are surprised and uncomfortable when they realize the narrator can speak English.
9. The narrator also approaches a group of European tourists who ignore them.
10. The narrator talks to a Spanish woman who is kind and friendly.
11. The narrator observes that security guards become alert when they see the narrator talking to tourists.
12. The narrator believes that people's treatment of them is influenced by their appearance as a vagabond.
13. The narrator notes that the museum staff were friendlier than the tourists.
14. The narrator concludes that people's reactions to them are influenced by classism and social status.