Characters and Characterization: The Functions of Homo Sapi

'" (6).
             Perhaps higher on the scale of rationality lies the character of the Medical Man. In our tale, the Medical Man appears to represent "Scientific people," if not by fact, then by inference due to his quick response to the Traveller's direct address to that type. Indeed, the Medical Man's rationality is perhaps more dictated by scepticism and common sense than by philosophy, as he is quick to ask questions and often quicker to positivistic sorts of statements. He asks, "Why cannot we move in Time as we move about in the other dimensions of Space?" (5). He proclaims, "There are balloons" and "Some sleight-of-hand trick or other" (5, 7). As suggested by the latter statement, his method is not without scepticism. At one point, the Medical Man calls into question the credibility of the Traveller when he asks the Traveller if "this is a trick--like that ghost you showed us last Christmas?" (11).
             Also sceptical is the Psychologist, whose role in this tale appears to be that of maker of conclusions and facilitator of conversation. As a facilitator, the psychologist summarizes. At one point, he mentions that "the great difficulty is this. . . .You can move aobut in all directions of Space, but you cannot move about in Time" (6), basically summarizing and restating the Medical Man's initial concern. As a conclusion-maker, the Psychologist decides, without seeing the model, that the experiment is "all humbug, you know" (7). And once the paradox has been "solved," the Psychologist claims, via the concept of "diluted presentation," that the solution was "plain enough," i.e., not subject to the same notion of diluted presentation. The concept was not a "speeding bullet" or even a wheel spoke: it could be seen and grasped.
             Also present at the first dinner are the Provincial Mayor and the Very Young Man. The serve almost as foils to the other characters. That is to say, the Mayor is as provincial as his office suggests and the Very Young Man is as rash in his conclusions as his age might dictate.