Repent Harlequin

In this reading, one theme that I recognized was individualism. I think that individualism was referenced by the Harlequin when he tried to show the people of the city that it was alright to relax and not always be on time. When he dumped the jelly beans on the moving sidewalks, I believe that was a way of him saying that everyone should slow down and enjoy the little things. Another point is brought about by the time period in which the piece was written. At this time there was a very tense relation between the American government and anti-war protesters. The extended quote at the beginning of the story can be summarized by saying that all men in a society are merely small pieces of a much larger, more complex machine, run by the government. At the end of the story the Harlequin is caught, and the Ticktockman demands that he just conform and follow the rules. I believe this is a reference to the government/protesters relationship. Also, Ellison mentions that it is "patriotic" the way the Ticktock man has total control over the citizens, and how he can punish them for not conforming to the ways of society. I believe this also has a direct connection to the times that it was written in. At that time, the government had labeled the protesters as non-conformists and unpatriotic. Therefore, the most patriotic thing to do was to shut down these protests and punish the ones who were responsible for the unpatriotic acts.

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