The Relationship between Characters in Repent Harlequin - Literature review Example

Thomas Wolf English 200 October 24, The relationship between Characters in "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman. This short story is an explorative tale of social regimentation. The author uses the relationships between the main characters to locate the present world in the future, characterized by militarized labor forces, mass consumptions, totalitarian rule, and preoccupation with time. Ticktockman is the timekeeper in this future world, he is a robotic figure in the story and has the power to terminate or shorten someone’s life. The diverse characterization and the relationship between characters in fictional work help develop the main ideas of a story. Harlequin is the main character in the story. He is in a close relationship with a pretty girl Alice, who has the mission to change Harlequin, but seems to be failing in this mission. Most people in the lower social classes see Harlequin as a hero by. However, the state considers him a threat, a perspective that has come to the attention of the timekeeper Ticktockman. The middle and lower social classes considered Harlequin a personality among them for his ability to identify with them and more so his threat to the upper class who the lowly considered unfair and corrupt. The ‘socially-attuned’ in a society considered him a great rebel and a disgrace who threatened to destabilize the system they had taken so long to build. The author describes him as someone who got “…. important reactions high above and far below. At the very top, at the very bottom” (Ellison 5). These reactions make and break the relationship between Harlequin and Alice. Alice on her part is as a determined woman, who is probably from a low social status owing to her admiration for Everett (Harlequin). She admires his personality, but feels that Harlequin needs to conform and change for a better life. She tries all her best to change him, always criticizing his negative attitudes. He has fallen victim to the strong force of technological rationality, believing in the ultimate importance of saving and taking care of them. In the process, he moves with these developments and displays his clown character, and this does not impress Alice. Alice tries to change him by making him take some time to spend with her, but she has little success in her efforts. The relationship between the two characters is that of lovers. Moreover, different scenes depict the couple as living together. In the first scene that the two are together taking coffee, Alice laments that Everett never stays in the house. She says, “Oh for Gods sake, Everett, cant you stay home just one night! Must you always be out in the ghastly clown suit, running around annoying people?" (Ellison 54). This is a criticism that shows that Alice, in as much as she loves him, feels that she does not get enough attention from him. Alice’s lamentation that Harlequin is always out “annoying” people criticizes his attention-seeking behavior as he tries to attract the people who consider him as a hero. Love is one of the characteristic of their relationship. The author of the story deliberately develops these two characters as brought together by love. For Harlequin, he is obsessed with Alice’s beauty and feels that he should be with her. It is, however ironical that Alice laments that Harlequin no longer has time for her and even when he calls to say that, he will be home early, Alice fails to trust him and tells him "why do you tell me that? Why? You know youll be late! You know it! Youre always late, so why do you tell me these dumb things?" (Ellison 61). This indicates the pain that Alice feels when Harlequin is not willing to spend time with her and goes around pleasing his admirers with his inherent efforts to end the totalitarian rule that characterizes the society. Alice has never been in support of the efforts and has always been trying to change Harlequin. The author, Harlan Ellison chooses to use a society that despite having a totalitarian rule, which is governed by equality, order, unity, and promptness. The attention to the clock, equality and the unity that exist in this society is what builds the relationship between Alice and Harlequin. However, what we realize in the end is that, the lamentation from Alice, and what makes her betray Harlequin is not mainly because of the lack of attention (Adams 287). The betrayal is rather because of the failed efforts of Alice to convince Harlequin to let go of his fight against the system that protects the females and recognizes them as equal to the male. This relationship between the two main characters helps Ellison to build up the story. A close analysis of the relationship between Alice and Harlequin reveals that the two have different ideologies. Alice has the conviction that the totalitarian society is an effective system. This is because it gives equal opportunities to both men and women. For her as a woman, the totalitarian rule presents her with an opportunity to have equal education rights and seek job opportunities like other women in the society (White 163). As it appears from other characters in the story, men in this society do not enjoy better privileges compared women. This explains why Alice prefers the totalitarian rule to last. In her opinion, Harlequin is pushing for change that will alter the current situation. If the revolution initiated by Harlequin succeeds, then women will lose equal rights with men and chauvinistic society will prevail. From the reactions of Alice, she dreads such as occurrence. She has a higher preference for the totalitarian rule because of the equity and unity, it has presented to the society. On the other hand, Harlequin has a different view of the e society. This is because he has been pushing for a revolution against the totalitarian society. This explains why he is always out in the night inciting people to support his views. He has different ideologies that giving the conviction that the state does not need to control all the affairs of the society (White 161). He believes in a democratic society that allows the people to make their decisions concerning the nature of the society and running of affairs. Therefore, Harlequin is making efforts to initiate a rebellion against the totalitarian rule in the hope that a new form of government will give the people a measure of freedom. The current totalitarian rule denies people certain freedoms, and Harlequin is not in support of this. For him, a new society is all that matters. Although he loves Alice, he spends time convincing people on the disadvantages of a totalitarian society (Bryant 163). Since Alice and Harlequin hold different ideologies, this difference prompts their separation. The reason why Alice chooses to betray Harlequin has its basis on the ideology that totalitarianism is her preferred mode of government. She is well aware that ending the totalitarian society will deny her certain privileges as a woman because it will restore the chauvinistic society. Individualism becomes evident at the point when she decides to give in her lover in an effort to promote totalitarianism (Adams 286). On the other hand, Harlequin pushes for a rebellion despite the fact that Alice does not support his efforts. He does not believe that she betrayed him, after she gave him in. However, their differences in ideology prompted the separation and formed the basis of the entire story. Evidently, Ellison describes the relationship between Alice and Harlequin in an effort to give the reader the understanding of why their relationship did not work. Although Alice appears discontent with the fact that Harlequin spends a lot of time pushing a rebellion against the totalitarian society, she has more reasons that prompt her to betray him. Her betrayal does not its basis on the lack of attention from her lover. However, she realizes that getting rid of the totalitarian society will deny her equality as a woman. Her views and the individualistic nature of the decision she makes leads to the unfolding of the other events in the story. This is the reason why the author gives attention to their relationships. Works cited Adams, Stephen. "The Heroic And Mock-Heroic In Harlan Ellisons "Harlequin." Extrapolation (Kent State University Press) 26.4 (1985): 285-289. Humanities International Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. Bryant, Earle V. "Ellisons "Repent Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman." Explicator 59.3 (2001): 163. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. Ellison, Harlan. "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman: The Classic Story. Grass Valley, CA: Underwood Books, 1997. Print. White, Michael D. "Ellisons Harlequin: Irrational Moral Action In Static Time." Science Fiction Studies 4.2 (1977): 161-165. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. Read More