Clockwork is the story’s central symbol, representing the attempt to impose mechanical order and control over human life. The Preface establishes this from the outset, comparing certain stories to clockwork machines that, once wound up, move relentlessly toward a “destined end.” This metaphor extends to Dr. Kalmenius’s philosophy, which argues that human lives are mere mechanisms and that the future can be wound up and controlled. This worldview negates human agency and moral choice, directly engaging the theme of Moral Responsibility in Acts of Creation by portraying a form of creation that is technically brilliant but spiritually hollow. Prince Florian, a boy made of clockwork, embodies this concept. Although he can sing, smile, and respond to others, his failing mechanism repeatedly reveals the limitations of artificial life created through technical skill alone.

The symbol’s most malevolent manifestation is Sir Ironsoul, the clockwork knight. Activated by the word “devil,” he’s an agent of relentless destruction, representing the destructive consequences of selfish ambition. Sir Ironsoul reflects Karl’s desperation to escape shame after failing to complete his figure for the town clock. Just as Prince Otto’s body is animated by a crude mechanism after his heart is removed, Sir Ironsoul demonstrates how clockwork creations become destructive when they’re guided by obsession, fear, or the desire for control instead of human care and responsibility. Through these figures, Pullman critiques a worldview that treats human life as something that can be regulated, repaired, or controlled like machinery, suggesting that mechanical precision alone cannot sustain genuine human life.