In The Cog, Charles Fritch uses symbolism to show readers that life choices can cause regret in future years. The tough decisions that people make can cause the most fulfilling life or they can wake up one day miserable. James Maxwell was one who wished he had followed his dreams instead of living with a more practical life. He had a very successful life, but he wasn’t doing what he had always dreamt of. He was the president of the world, but by his standards, that wasn’t enough. To him all he was, was just another cog in society. James wanted to be an astronaut. That was his dream, his happiness. When he thought of people who actually lived, he thought of people who followed their dreams. Regret can be caused by many things, but James’ came from his decision not to follow his dreams. In the story, the author used the symbol of James Maxwell being the president to show that no matter how far one gets in life, they will always have some regrets about what they chose to do with their life. James was one of the most influential people in the story. Most kids looked up to him and wanted to be him, but that wasn’t enough. He wished he had followed his dreams and became an astronaut. Looking back at his life, James regrets listening to the people telling him that his dreams were out of reach. He should have realized that people follow their dreams all the time and they are happy and successful. James Maxwell being president symbolizes all the people who chose the sensible thing