Bradbury employs symbolism in regard to his characters’ names in this story. Characteristically, Mr. Bigelow is “big.” He has high aspirations for himself as a writer. However, he is also “low” in his estimation of himself, as well as low in stature since he is a dwarf.

Aimee is also accurately characterized by her name. She is kind and compassionate towards Bigelow.

Mirror imagery best depicts the true nature of Ralph. At first, the mirrors depict “ten thousand cold white images of him stalking down the glassy corridors.” Ralph is hard, cold, unfeeling, and does “stalk” Bigelow in the same way that one would stalk an animal. Moreover, the mirror does not lie when it depicts Ralph as a small man; the mirror pictures Ralph as he inwardly is: small, petty, ugly, and cruel.

Bradbury’s sympathetic understanding of humanity makes him aware that humanity often experiences feelings of dissatisfaction, inadequacy, and sometimes even total disgust when forced to take a look at itself. He also feels that this dissatisfaction is the origin of man’s desire to indulge in fantasy, to want to escape his real self, to want to be what he knows he never can be. Because of Bradbury’s great interest in humanity, his stories often investigate these universal feelings that man has about himself. His use of mirror imagery depicts this theme of man’s dissatisfaction. In “The Dwarf,” Bigelow finds joy in the fantasy of the mirrors; Ralph Banghart sees in them reality. They reflect him as the despicable man that he really is.