Bedtimes

Symbols

Ricky, the family dog, is a symbol of the distance between Thomas and Mary. Whenever she wants to avoid Thomas, Mary comes up with the excuse that Ricky needs a walk: “ ‘Speaking of which,’ she suddenly says, ‘he probably needs a last pee. Poor thing.’ And she climbs out of bed and pulls on her jeans” (ll. 101-102). Ricky is also a symbol of how different Thomas and Mary are, as Thomas refuses to walk Ricky with Mary and is surprised by Mary’s interest in dogs.

The books that Thomas and Mary read symbolize concealment. Instead of communicating with each other, Thomas and Mary hide behind their books. Moreover, the books symbolize the differences between husband and wife. Mary reads books about dogs (l. 98), while Thomas reads a novel by Haruki Murakami (ll. 17-18). Overall, Mary’s choice of reading practical books reflects her practical personality, while Thomas’ taste for Murakami’s surrealist fiction shows that he might enjoy using books to escape his problems.