The Man in the High Castle portrays a conflict between the objective and the subjective. Characters want to believe that they live in an objective reality, where history is established and unquestionable. They want to believe that the world around them is unchangeable and permanent. However, they gradually begin to discover that objective reality is an illusion. Rather, reality is constructed from an infinite number of competing subjective realities and the characters are forced to assemble some sort of cohesive authenticity from everything they encounter.

Childan's store is an example of the subjective nature of existence. To Childan and his customers, the items he sells are glimpses into an authentic version of the American past. However, this supposedly objective version of history—one assembled through tangible artifacts—is based on a lie. Not only is the version of American history incomplete, having passed through Childan's curation to suit the tastes of his customers, but it is also achieved using fake antiques. The objects that supposedly establish the existence of a single, objective version of American history are made in a factory by men like Frank Frink. Frank is another example of the subjective nature of reality.