The motif of time is announced in the title, “One of These Days,” which evokes both the sameness of Aurelio’s days (one day among many) and the threat of delayed but inevitable retribution for the Mayor’s political crimes (as in, one of these days, you’ll get what’s coming to you). The story depicts a single day in Aurelio’s life, and the opening scene establishes the repetitive tasks that occupy Aurelio’s days. As the scene opens, he is meticulously polishing a gold tooth in his quiet and disheveled office, doing much the same thing he does every day. When the Mayor appears, the monotonous flow of time is refined to a single highly focused point, and this ordinary day, indistinguishable from all the others, becomes specific and charged with significance.

Buzzards are typically associated with death and calamity since they are carrion birds (they eat carcasses). Them being pensive in the story suggests that they are waiting for the next victim who might be their next meal. Although no one will die in the encounter between the dentist and the Mayor, they each threaten the other with physical violence, highlighting the theme of