The people are so bounded by their schedules and tardiness can result in huge consequences, such as death, which is told in the beginning.ĭue to their conformity to their schedules, the people lack individuality. Delahanty runs away to try to avoid the Ticktockman, we discover the Ticktockman’s true abilities. Even though these digressions seem to be off topic, their purpose later becomes evident.
Talking about events occurring in different parts in the city in correlation to the main event, visualizes the similarities to a poem. Also, by beginning in the middle, the reader is lead to question who the Harlequin really is because there is less information about him, yet he is still illustrated as an individual.īy having multiple digressions, the story is organized similar to a poem. ” This targets the desire of the Ticktockman to control a certain order. The reader is also told at the beginning about the order of the story when it is stated, “ Now begin in the middle, and later learn the beginning the end will take care of itself. This further helps to describe how orderly he is and how he wants everyone else to be, like clockwork. The Ticktockman’s own name describes the sound a clock makes. The Ticktockman is all about maintain a specific order and schedule. The organization is juxtaposed with the Ticktockman. Organization mimics individuality while contrasting to the master schedule. Harlan Ellison illustrates how conformism ultimately leads to the death of individuality through organization, characterization, allusions, and diction. The Ticktockman attempts to make the Harlequin repent for disobeying law, trying to conform him to his commands. He constantly breaks the rules of the master schedule and eludes the Ticktockman. The protagonist, the Harlequin, is one who is very petulant. He is the one who overlooks and governs this world with an iron fist. The ruler of this era is known as the Ticktockman. In this time, the people are constricted by a master schedule they must conform to, and for every minute one is late, he/she loses a minute of life. “Repent, Harlequin! ’ Said the Ticktockman, by Harlan Ellison, takes place in a futuristic setting.
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