Barnabas

Barnabas symbolizes both Timothy’s advancing age and his connection with God. In the elderly Barnabas, who has been Timothy’s companion for years, Timothy sees reflected his own old age. He knows that with age comes necessary changes, like moving Barnabas downstairs, but he has difficulty accepting these changes. For Timothy, acknowledging that Barnabas has grown old means that he must also acknowledge that he is older, too.

Barnabas symbolizes Timothy’s connection to God in that Timothy often seeks out the quiet, calm demeanor of the old dog when he’s feeling troubled and needs to pray. Barnabas’s presence seems to remind Timothy that he is not alone and that God is with him.

Coot

Coot is the poorest person in the small town of Mitford. As such, he symbolizes the poor in America and the good that people can do just by...