TheĬrowd is awed by his tattoos but when he rips the adhesive off his chest, they grow scared: the tattoo depicts Phelps killing The night of the Big Unveiling of the chest tattoo, a crowd gathers for the event. Him the Future is in these pictures and that he can unveil the picture on his chest next Saturday night and save the tattoo He has two special tattoos, one on his chest and another on his back, both covered by bandages the old woman tells Lisabeth is shocked and now declares her husband aįreak. That night he returns to the carnival, his body now covered in tattoos.

Illustrated Man and proceeds to work on him. He asks how she can tell since she's blind but she claims to feel him.

She also tells him he's only one of many people whose tattoos tell her to expect them in the next one hundred Phelps is surprised and she tells him the tattoo is fifty Knew he was coming, as a tattoo on her palm showed his arrival. She had her eyes and nose stitched tight, sitting alone in her shack: she Phelps then heard of an old woman in the WisconsinĬountryside, a tattoo artist, and he went to visit her. Was no longer useful as a tent man and wasn't needed as a Fat Man. Phelps is fired by the carnival boss, who Marriage Lisabeth was disgusted with Phelps, who had grown fat and useless. However, by that summer the newlyweds were arguing and after eleven months of This theme is the issue of destiny: did the tattoos actually predict Lisabeth's death or did they merely encourage Phelps toĭo something that he had secretly wanted to do? That is, was the tattoo the cause or a mere symptom?Ī worker at the carnival, William Philippus Phelps is now the Illustrated Man, but a year Earlier when he married Thus, they both hold a great attraction but also instill fear in those who view it. The tattoos are works of art but also able to predict -or perhaps mold - the future. The main theme is the dangerous nature of the creative imagination. Phelps is killed by the circus freaks in revenge, fulfilling the prophecy of his other special tattoo. Phelps kills his wife Lisabeth, fulfilling the prophecy of one of his special tattoos. Lisabeth, Phelps' wife who has grown to hate him for being fat, dumb, and - after getting the tattoos -freakish. William Philippus Phelps, who is given tattoos by a strange old woman who claims to see the future. Various Freaks - Performers at the carnival. Skin Man - Tries to remove Phelps' tattoos. Old woman - A blind woman who gives Phelps his tattoo. Lisabeth - Phelps' wife of one year, intensely dissatisfied with her husband. William Philippus Phelps - The Illustrated Man of the title.

Bradbury the illustrated man