The story is open-ended. Bradbury lets the reader finish it the way they like by ending the story with “She put her hand to her cheek. Someone had just kissed it.” and not stating whether someone is Mr. Braling or his duplicate. This way the reader can interpret whether the marionette managed to lock Mr. Braling in the toolbox and take his place or, as a more romantic reader may like to think, this experience made Mr. Braling understand that one should not neglect or take a respite from the ones they love, as they might get replaced, whether with someone else or, as it may be in this case, a marionette.
In conclusion, the story is not only filled with stylistic devices, but also useful life lessons that should be taken into account, the main one being – one should be careful what they wish for. Braling did not want to spend time with his wife, and his wish almost came true or did come true (based on how the reader interprets the ending) when Braling Two decided that he wanted to take Mr. Braling’s place permanently.
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