Homer Macauley
A character named Homer living in a town called Ithaca is more than suggestive that he should be seen as a symbol of something. Homer, poet, lived to create myths of ancient heroes and gods and, in a sense, keep those civilizations going after devastating wars. Homer here is also a symbol of life after a devastating war. His untapped potential and basic decency and faith situate him as the generation that will keep pushing American forward despite the enormous losses experienced as a result of the war.
The Macauley Family
The Macauley Family is a universal symbol giving readers a glimpse into a very specific instance. They are symbols of the larger concept of interconnectedness, cooperation and dependability. The specific instance is the impact that World War II had on families across America. Almost literally overnight houses were emptied of sons, brothers, fathers, uncles—and mothers, daughters, sisters and aunt. Those things that needed to be done didn’t disappear overseas so to fill the missing gaps in the family unit, American truly became a socialist collective where people helped others without thought of making a profit or getting a reward.
Mr. Mechano
The man pretending to be a machine, human on the outside but lifeless on the inside, is a symbol of the sudden and mysterious awareness of death.
Hurdle Race
Life places obstacles in your way. Sometimes you manage to successfully leap over every single hurdle you see approaching you only to lose the race because of the hurdles you do not see.
Homer's Job
If this story were told five years earlier or five years later, Homer’s job delivering telegrams would situate him symbolically only as the person who brings news of the world outside Ithaca to the residents of the town. Because of the specific time period in which the story occurs, it is the predominant content of that news from the outside world that transforms into a symbolic Messenger of Death.
