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1. What does the grandfather clock in the opening scene symbolize?

The grandfather clock in the opening scene represents misplaced trust. Arthur's tendency to place his trust in things he believes should be trustworthy in a logical world often leads to disappointment and stress, such as in this situation when the clock has not been wound and so Arthur does not realize that his literary escort is very late for their meeting.

2. What is the significance of Arthur's habit of not wearing a watch?

The significance of Arthur's lack of a watch is that the author is demonstrating early on that Arthur has a sort of childlike trust of the world around him, which is both an endearing trait and a trouble-inducing one. The narrator states that the reason for Arthur's lack of a watch is due to the the fact that "his faith is fast" (4).

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