"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman

Masks and disguises are a central symbol in the story; both titular characters, the Harlequin and the Ticktockman, exist publicly but anonymously. The Harlequin’s jester disguise evokes laughter from the lower classes and anger from the middle and upper classes. It also obscures his identity and, to some extent, his humanity. When the Ticktockman receives the Harlequin’s timecard and cardioplate, he says, “This is what he is […] but not who he is” (147). The story never provides a backstory for his real-life identity of Everett C. Marm or an explanation of how he became the Harlequin. His role as a symbol of rebellion against the System is more important than his individuality. The Ticktockman’s identity is similarly obscured; he wears a mask in public and is only called by his official title or his nickname, never a given name. His disguise, though it is not described, seems to evoke respect and fear from everyone around him.

These disguises underscore the symbolic, larger-than-life nature of both of these characters. They also suggest that the society depicted within the story is one where the humanity of everyone, from factory workers to government functionaries to