An Analysis of the Themes in Repent Harlequin Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison Essay

Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman, by Harlan Ellisonillustrates a futuristic society governed by time. In 2389, when the story takesplace, man has become so obsessed with punctuality, that if one does not possesthis quality, he can be punished by death. Those who become heroes and strive tosave the world from destruction by the clock become enemies by the world becausethey are non-conformists. This is the case for Everett C. Marm, or better knownas the Harlequin, who tries in vain to transform the unacceptability of theregulations. Harlan Ellison introduces to us the idea of serving society invarious forms. The reader sees that many in society have transformed into thatwhich society believes. There are many ways in which people respond to society,some follow without question and others do what they feel is right, despite theconsequences. Ellison uses specific examples of imagery, diction, andcharacterization to illustrate the importance of reform in society. Ellison usedimagery to display the Harlequins rebellion as well as the societies actionsand thoughts. In illustrating the robot-like lives of his society, Ellisonwrote, He could hear the metronomic, left-right-left of the 247 shift,entering the Timkin roller-bearing plant in their sneakers he heard theright-left-right of the 500 AM formation, going home. This quote shows thepunctuality of the people, as well as the organization of the strict societythey live. The shift was not 245, but rather exactly 247, not sooner or later.In addition, the workers that were arriving took steps left-right-leftwhereas the ones going home walked right-left-right. This allegorizesexactly how over-organized society was. There was so much control over thepeople that they no longer did what they wanted to, or what they felt was right.They automatically did what law said to, forgetting their own feelings andopinions on whether or not the laws were morally correct. When MarshallDelahauty had received his turn-off message, he tried to escape. As he ranaway, his heart stopped, and the blood dried up on its way to his brain, andhe was dead thats all....

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