The Stick

Malone's stick represents his only form of agency, as it is the only way he can reach objects close to him. It is symbolically significant that as Malone deteriorates, he loses his stick, which comes to represent everything - as Malone says, "now that I have lost my stick I realize what it is I have lost and all it meant to me" (247).

The Exercise Book and Pencil

The tools that Malone uses to write are the only way he can "live" as he lies in bed waiting to die. His diminishing pencil becomes analogous to his expiring life, as when his pencil runs out, the narrative breaks off.

The Cylinder

Macmann's desire to be a cylinder symbolically represents his desire to live his life in his own way, without conforming to societal roles. As a geometric shape, a cylinder is a part of the...