The Signal-Man

Although the signal man did not take full advantage of his academic opportunities and must therefore lie in the proverbial bed he made, he does not express a dislike for his job or think that he is “above” it, as the narrator initially does. On the contrary, the job provides the time and security for him to educate himself, and he takes advantage of lulls in his duties to learn mathematics and a foreign language. The signal man has thus created a space in which he can be responsible for himself and others, having grown not only accustomed to his job but excellent at it, as an onlooker confirms after the signal man is killed: “No man in England knew his work better,” the bystander comments (321), with Tom echoing, “I knew him to be very careful” (321).

The responsibilities of his job make the work meaningful, and the signal man perfectly fulfills these responsibilities until the ghost begins to make appearances. His job then becomes unbearable due to his inability to send effective warning signals: He is haunted not only by the supernatural but also by a dawning recognition of his inability to signal effectively enough to discharge his duties.