Motif - the colours of the Horsemen
Throughout the novel, the Horsemen are shown to have motifs based on the color of the horses they ride in Revelations. War is Red, Famine is Black, and Pollution is white; Death is not shown to have a particular color associated with him, perhaps because he is considered different from the rest of the Horsemen. These colors not only appear in instances of the Horsemen’s physical appearances, but also appear (quite obviously) in their nicknames. War calls herself names like Carmine or Scarlett, (and is known to have vibrant red hair), Famine calls himself ‘Raven Sable’, which literally means ‘Black Black’, and Pollution calls himself “White, or Blanc, or Albus, or Chalky, or Weiss, or Snowy, or any one of a hundred other names.” This helps the reader connect them to the original Horsemen from biblical texts, and also allows for the connotations of the colors sway the reader’s opinions.
Allegory - Crowley’s Houseplants
Crowley owns many houseplants, which are apparently “the most luxurious, verdant, and beautiful in London. Also the most terrified.” This is because he threatens them continually, and upon discovering a wilting or dry plant, he shows all the other plants ‘their friend’ and subsequently kills it. He is said to be ‘putting the fear of God’ into the plants ‒ said God being Crowley. While this may seem a whimsical recurring charade, it also goes deeper into Crowley’s psyche as a demon. His treatment of the plants mirrors the way Hell treats him ‒ “As if [Crowley] was a houseplant who had started shedding leaves on the carpet.” His tyrannical reign over the plants stems from his need to have control over something in the same way that Hell has control over him.
Symbol - Dog
It is said that when the Antichrist receives his hellhound, the naming ceremony defines if he is ‘up to the job’ or not. The Antichrist is expected to name it ‘Killer’ or ‘Terror’ or ‘Stalks-by-night’, or at least something somewhat terrifying. When Adam receives his hellhound, he instantly wants it to be a small, loyal, playful dog ‒ every boy’s dream ‒ and thus it transforms into one. He also names it simply ‘Dog’, to ‘save trouble’, apparently. This, while not crucial in the way Hell expected, was indeed very crucial, showing Adam’s capacity to defy his nature. Dog, intended to be an evil creature fit only for destruction, represents Adam’s similar defiance of his evil nature, choosing to be human rather than demonic.
Symbol - the Horsemen’s items
Three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, at various points near the climax of the book, are delivered their personal ‘items’ ‒ War receives a flaming sword, Famine receives a pair of scales, and Pollution receives a crown (which he promptly tarnishes). Death only receives a verbal message of ‘Come and See’, which indicates that the Apocalypse has arrived. These items each represent the Horseperson they belong to ‒ the sword represents fighting and weaponry, the scales represent an uneven balance of resources, the crown represents Pollution’s sudden but revered status (he is ‘the King’) and Death’s simple message shows how he is the true catalyst of the Apocalypse.
Allegory - the bird story
When Crowley and Aziraphale are having a discussion about the Apocalypse, Crowley attempts to sway Aziraphale by telling him a typical hellfire sermon ‒ of a bird traveling to the end of the universe to sharpen its beak on a mountain. Crowley states that once this bird has worn down the mountain to nothing, Aziraphale still won’t have finished watching the Sound of Music ‒ twisting the meaning of the story to condemn the idle nature and lack of entertainment in Heaven. This story is an allegory for the pointlessness of having one side rule for eternity, and how both Heaven and Hell would get boring after a while if there was only one or the other.
