Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

The Apparatus

The apparatus is a symbol of the old, dehumanizing system in the penal colony. The apparatus represents a savage system that is focused on power rather than justice. Its purpose—to tattoo the crime into the body of the condemned—is symbolic of cruel and inhumane judgment rather than a fair and just system of punishment. The cotton on the Bed, the turning of the body, and the gruel provided for the condemned to lick up are sick farces of humanity, indicating that the civility of the Officer is nothing more than a façade that hides the monstrousness of his beliefs. The Officer’s interpretation of enlightenment after men have been in the apparatus for hours is a foolish attempt to rationalize the barbarous practice. When he goes into the apparatus himself, the apparatus cannot hold together, and neither can the system it represents.

The Colony

The penal colony itself is symbolic of a totalitarian society. On a literal level, the penal colony is, by definition, an authoritarian construct. Figuratively, the colony functions as a microcosm of a world of sinners who are denied any freedom and kept under strict control. There is no true justice since one man, the Officer, acts as judge, jury, and executioner all at once. The Officer says that the cases are all simple and there is no point in allowing any of those accused an opportunity to defend themselves. In a totalitarian society, there is no scope for complexity or nuance. Similarly, the Officer does not see any need for an accused man to have a chance to defend himself because that would complicate matters. He would need to hear different sides to a story and determine guilt and innocence in degrees. Instead, he approaches what he calls justice as an authoritarian, symbolizing societies that do not embrace ideals like democracy or justice.