▁prem ises , ▁people ▁can ▁identify ▁prec urs ors ▁and ▁early ▁examples ▁of ▁sur real ▁hum our ▁at ▁least ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁such ▁as ▁Lewis ▁Car roll ' s ▁Alice ' s ▁Advent ures ▁in ▁Wonder land ▁and ▁Through ▁the ▁Looking - G lass , ▁which ▁both ▁use ▁il logic ▁and ▁abs urd ity ▁( hook ah - sm oking ▁c ater p ill ars , ▁cro quet ▁matches ▁using ▁live ▁fl aming os ▁as ▁mal lets , ▁etc .) ▁for ▁hum orous ▁effect . ▁Many ▁of ▁Edward ▁Lear ' s ▁children ▁stories ▁and ▁po ems ▁contain ▁n ons ense ▁and ▁are ▁basically ▁sur real ▁in ▁approach . ▁For ▁example , ▁The ▁Story ▁of ▁the ▁Four ▁Little ▁Children ▁Who ▁W ent ▁Round ▁the ▁World ▁( 1 8 7 1 ) ▁is ▁filled ▁with ▁contradict ory ▁statements ▁and ▁odd ▁images ▁intended ▁to ▁prov oke ▁am usement , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁following : ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁several ▁avant - gar de ▁movements , ▁including ▁the ▁d ada ists , ▁sur real ists , ▁and ▁fut ur ists , ▁began ▁to ▁argue ▁for ▁an ▁art ▁that ▁was ▁random , ▁j arring ▁and ▁il log ical . ▁The ▁goals ▁of ▁these ▁movements ▁were ▁in ▁some ▁sense ▁serious , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁committed ▁to ▁und erm ining ▁the ▁solemn ity ▁and ▁self - s atisf action ▁of ▁the ▁contemporary ▁art istic ▁establishment . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁art ▁was ▁intention ally ▁am using