Niggle (Symbol)
Niggle is himself a symbol, a character who represents both Tolkien himself and all the artists who dream of creating something beautiful. He is a modest, humble little man with little worldly significance (as art isn't valued as pragmatically useful), and his own limitations and failures prevent him from fully realizing his artistic dream. He feels that he's master of his own time, and any of it that is taken from him is a cruel Interruption, making him a relatable figure for many. Once he transitions into the afterlife, moving from the Workhouse to Niggle's Country to the Mountains, he becomes a symbol for the Christian, who will journey through the afterlife to Paradise and then Heaven, the land beyond understanding.
Parish (Symbol)
Parish is another symbolic character. In the story, he is Niggle's neighbor; the Biblical sense of "neighbor," though, includes everyone with whom a person interacts (Matthew 12:31). This, along with the significance of Parish's name (meaning the group of people for whom a Christian minister has responsibility), makes Parish into a symbol for "other people" in general, whom Niggle regards as an interruption to his work. The worth of Parish is finally revealed, however, in Niggle's country, when his knowledge of gardening (mere worldly things) is shown to be useful in the creative act of imagination.
The Journey (Allegory)
The "long journey" that Niggle has to take is the central allegory of the story. The journey represents death, and the path one takes to the afterlife. It is complete with a kind of Purgatory (the Workhouse), and Heaven (the Mountains). When the driver arrives at Niggle's house, the narrator notes that he is dressed all in black, suggesting an image of a – in this case, benevolent – grim reaper to usher Niggle into his afterlife.
Niggle's Painting (Symbol)
The painting of the tree that Niggle is working on in the beginning of the story symbolizes creativity and artistic drive. It is also, as many have noted, likely a symbol for Tolkien's own created fantasy world, Middle-earth. The tree that Niggle paints is enormous, with a seemingly infinite number of branches that give way to even more detailed leaves. Like the tree, Tolkien's Middle-earth is a highly elaborate fantasy world with its own history and folklore. Throughout the story, characters debate whether Niggle's predilection for painting holds any value. It is ultimately revealed that on earth, Niggle's work is all but forgotten, but in the afterlife, Niggle helps craft a landscape that comes to replace the purgatorial punishment of the Workhouse.
The Workhouse (Allegory)
Once Niggle is taken on his journey, the Porter directs him to the Workhouse, as he does not have any luggage with him. At the Workhouse, Niggle performs various menial tasks, physically laboring all day until he is deemed fit to move on to the next stage. This Workhouse functions as an allegory of Christian Purgatory, where Niggle works until his flaws have been purged from him, such as his miserly attitude toward time and his aversion to physical labor. Once he has been made well, the Voices send him to the next stage, a theme common in Christian tradition concerning the idea of Purgatory as an intermediate stage between Earth and Paradise.
The Mountains (Allegory)
Like the Workhouse, the Mountains are also an allegorical representation of the Christian afterlife. The Mountains represent Heaven, or the stage of the afterlife that is wholly mysterious and incomprehensible to humanity. Even the narrator – who follows Niggle closely throughout the story – does not detail what happens to Niggle after he goes to the Mountains with the shepherd. At the end of the story, readers learn that Niggle and Parish are both in the Mountains, but once again the narrator withholds specific details in order maintain the mystery of "heaven" and the Creator.
