Alec says that city is Illusions; Reality is the other way. Milo doesn’t know what illusions are, so Alec defines them as things that aren’t actually there, but are visible. The Humbug
Humbug
A humbug is a person or object that behaves in a deceptive or dishonest way, often as a hoax or in jest. The term was first described in 1751 as student slang, and recorded in 1840 as a "nautical phrase". It is now also often used as an exclamation to describe something as nonsense …
What is the plot of the Phantom Tollbooth?
The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth that transports him to the once prosperous, but now troubled, Kingdom of Wisdom.
Is there a chapter 10 of the Phantom Tollbooth?
The Phantom Tollbooth Chapter 10. A Colorful Symphony Summary & Analysis | LitCharts for every book you read. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive." Chapter 9. It’s All in How You Look at Things The Phantom Tollbooth: Chapter 10.
What does the Phantom Tollbooth Teach Milo about himself?
But when he gets home from school and discovers that the tollbooth is gone, Milo realizes that his experiences in the Lands Beyond have taught him how to amuse himself and find joy in his real world—he no longer needs the Lands Beyond to entertain himself. The The Phantom Tollbooth quotes below are all either spoken by Milo or refer to Milo.
What is the best book to read the Phantom Tollbooth?
Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-86903-7. Juster, Norton; Marcus, Leonard (2011). The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-85715-7. Juster, Norton (2014). The Phantom Tollbooth, Essential Modern Classics. Knopf.
What does Milo learn in the land of illusions?
As Milo, Tock, and the Humbug leave Dictionopolis, they meet Alec Bings, who teaches them about point of view. They learn that sometimes people would rather look at illusions than face reality. When the travelers meet Chroma the Great, Milo learns to appreciate simple things like the beauty of a colorful sunset.
What happened in chapter 11 of Phantom Tollbooth?
The Phantom Tollbooth Chapter 11 At 5:22 a.m., Milo remembers that he must wake Chroma, the conductor, for a sunrise, but then decides to conduct the orchestra himself. He then goes to wake Chroma, expecting the orchestra to stop playing once he stops conducting.
What happened in chapter 9 in The Phantom Tollbooth?
Milo realizes that he could share Alec's viewpoint if he wanted to – this would make him reach the same height and dangle in the air, too – but this is too hardcore for him. He decides he'd rather stay as he is. All four characters talk about the importance of having their own ways of looking at the world.
What gift does Dischord give Milo?
The Soundkeeper gives Milo a gift – a box of her favorite sounds. The trio travel on toward Digitopolis, where they come to a crossroads. They meet an unusual fellow, the Dodecahedron, a twelve faced man who's called Dody for short.
Who was Chroma?
Chroma the Great is a character in the book, The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. Chroma's job is to conduct the orchestra that colors every day; without him and the instruments, the world would have no color at all. Chroma, whose name means ''color,'' is very gaunt and looks just like a conductor's baton.
What did Milo learn Chroma?
Instead, Milo uses this experience with Chroma to learn about self-discipline and about taking responsibility for his own actions. Milo learns that he has to figure out when he's ready or not ready to do things, and that he can't depend on other people to do this for him.
What is the only thing Alec Cannot see Phantom Tollbooth?
In fact, the only thing he cannot see, Alec explains, "is whatever happens to be right in front of [his] nose." ilo is dazzled by this and wants to be able to see things as well. Alec tells him to simply start thinking like an adult and once Milo does, sure enough he begins to rise off the ground.
How did Milo's Word break down the wall?
Milo hurries back to the angry mob where he is directed to deposit his stolen sound into a large cannon. When fired, the sound shatters the walls of the fortress and all the sounds in the vault come crashing out.
What is the Giant's Secret in The Phantom Tollbooth?
'' The Giant tells Milo that, like gelatin, he tries to look like whatever is closest to him. That is how they ended up in his hand - it looked like part of the mountain. The Giant tells Milo that he doesn't want to be conspicuous, or noticeable.
What did Dr Dischord think was wrong with Milo?
Dischord tell Milo he is suffering from? The doctor tells Milo that he was suffering from a severe lack of noise.
What life lesson does Milo learn from Alec Bings?
perspectiveFrom Alec Bings, Milo learns a great deal about perspective. Alec Bings has the unfortunate fate to have to look at things from the same perspective for his entire life. Rather than seeing things differently as he ages, like most people do, Alec will always have the same grown-up outlook.
Why does Milo mistake the gelatinous giant for a mountain?
The Mathemagician gives Milo a pencil. Why does Milo mistake the Gelatinous Giant for a mountain? ... because the Gelatinous Giant blends in with his surroundings.
What happened in chapter 12 in The Phantom Tollbooth?
Chapter 12 Upon entering the Valley of Sound, Milo can immediately tell why Dischord and Dynne seemed to be so afraid of it: there is no sound whatsoever. As Tock frets over his lack of ticking, a crowd of people bearing protest signs about the silence comes down the road.
What did the humbug do to make Dynne cry?
Dr. Dischord tells the DYNNE's sad backstory: turns out, the DYNNE is responsible for most of the noise in the world. A joke the Humbug makes upsets the DYNNE, who cries.
What happened to the toll booth did Milo see it again?
Milo loses the tollbooth, so he can't go back to the Lands Beyond again, or meet up with the friends he left there. But now, he doesn't need some outside object to have adventures or enjoy himself. He's figured out how to enjoy the present, to soak up his surroundings, and to make magic where none seems to exist.
Who gave Milo the telescope?
AlecAlec escorts Milo, Tock, and the Humbug to the end of the Forest of Sight, where he bids them farewell and gives Milo a telescope as a gift so that he can "see things as they really are."
Is the Mathemagician still angry with Azaz? Support your answer by quoting from the book.
s the Mathemagician still angry with Azaz? Support your answer by quoting from the book.
help
What chapter are you referring to?
Why does Milo decide to put the tollbooth together?
Of course, if you've ever gotten a surprise package, you can imagine how puzzled and excited Milo was; and if you've never gotten one, pay close at...
Who illustrated the Phantom Tollbooth?
Cover illustration of Milo and Tock. The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth that transports him to the once prosperous, ...
When was Phantom Tollbooth published?
The Phantom Tollbooth was published in September 1961. Its competition among new books for the minds and hearts of children included Roald Dahl 's James and the Giant Peach. The Bronze Bow, set in the Biblical times, was newly available, and would bring Elizabeth George Speare her second Newbery Award in three years. Neither publisher nor first-time author expected many sales for The Phantom Tollbooth, but Juster was nevertheless disappointed not to find his work on store shelves. His mother, Minnie, did her part, as her son put it, "terrorizing" bookstore owners into displaying it.
What did Juster do after the book was published?
After publication, Juster sent a copy of the book to the Ford Foundation, with an explanation of how the projected book on cities had transformed into The Phantom Tollbooth. He never heard back from them, and learned years later that they were delighted by the turn of events. With the book having become an unexpected hit, Juster found himself answering letters from young readers, and a few parents. He found that children understood the wordplay at different ages, and heard from the occasional college student as well. Some students wrote a second time after a gap of years "and they'll talk to me about a whole different book, normally. But now they've got a lot more of the words right. A lot more of the fun kind of crazy references". He learned too that readers were capable of more than he had intended, as in the case of the letter sent by the Mathemagician to King Azaz. Composed entirely of numbers, some readers assumed it was a code and set about breaking it, only to appeal to Juster for help when they were not successful. The numbers were not intended to have any meaning, and were meant to convey that the Mathemagician's letter could not have been understood by Azaz or his advisers.
What is the OCLC code for Phantom Tollbooth?
OCLC. 576002319. LC Class. PZ7.J98 Ph. The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth that transports him to the once prosperous, but now troubled, ...
What creature does Milo meet in Digitopolis?
They meet a twelve-sided creature called the Dodecahedron, who leads them to Digitopolis, where they meet the Mathemagician, who is still angry at Azaz, and who will not give his blessing to anything that his brother has approved. Milo maneuvers him into saying he will permit the quest if the boy can show the two have concurred on anything since they banished the princesses. To the number wizard's shock, Milo proves that the two have agreed to disagree, and the Mathemagician gives his reluctant consent.
What is the dog name in the Castle in the Air?
Along with a dog named Tock and the Humbug, Milo goes on a quest to the Castle in the Air seeking the kingdom's two exiled princesses, named Rhyme and Reason. As Milo learns valuable lessons, he finds a love of learning in a story full of puns and wordplay, such as exploring the literal meanings of idioms .
What is the Terrible Trivium?
The Terrible Trivium, the well-dressed, polite demon who sets the questers to mindless tasks, was Juster's way of representing his own tendency to avoid what he should be doing in favor of a more congenial occupation, such as his evasion of the grant project to write The Phantom Tollbooth. Juster drew on Feiffer's life experiences as well; the Whether Man's adage "Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens" was a favorite of the cartoonist's mother.
What is the book Phantom Tollbooth about?
"The Phantom Tollbooth" is a charming kids book about a dull, depressed boy named Milo, who, by journeying through the Kingdom of Wisdom, renews his spark for life.
Who said the way you see things depends a great deal on where you look at them from?
8. “The way you see things depends a great deal on where you look at them from.” – Alec Bings
Who said "You'll find that the only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that's?
18. “You’ll find that the only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that’s hardly worth the effort” –The Mathemagician
Who said "So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible"?
26. “So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.” – The King and the Mathemagician
What is the meaning of the phrase "Time is our most valuable possession"?
1. “Time is our most valuable possession, more precious than diamonds. It marches on, it and tide wait for no man.” –Tock. 2. “History is full of Humbugs” – the Humbug. 3. “A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a bankrupt intellect” –The Humbug. 4.
The Adventure Continues!
Milo, Tock and their new friend, the Humbug, have just left King Azaz and the people of Dictionopolis on their way to rescue Rhyme and Reason from the Castle in the Air. King Azaz gives Milo a heavy box containing all the words he knows. This gift might come in handy later on in their journey.
What's Your Point of View?
As the travelers continue on, they meet a strange boy who's floating three feet off the ground! He tells them that in his family, people don't grow up; they grow down to touch the ground as they get older.
Illusions vs. Reality
As Milo, Tock, Alex, and the Humbug continue on, they find a house that has doors on each side. The nameplate on the front door says ''A Giant,'' but the man who answers the door doesn't look like much of a giant to Milo. He sends Milo to the back door, where the nameplate says ''A Midget.''
Why does Humbug not think one is lost?
The Humbug worries that they are lost. Alec is unconcerned. He does not think one is lost because it is better to know where you aren’t than where you are. He does, though, instruct them to ask the giant. He points to a small house between the trees.
Why does Milo laugh at the boy when he says it is the opposite for him?
When Milo says it is the opposite for him, the boy laughs and says that sounds silly because things do not look the same at ten, fifteen, etc. His family sees things from the same angle forever.
What does Milo tell Alec to think like?
Milo asks if he can try, and Alec tells him to think like an adult. Milo makes it up a few feet but then crashes down. He decides to continue seeing things as a child. Alec sits down and shares that everyone has a different point of view. An ant, for instance might see a bucket of water as a vast ocean while an elephant sees it merely as a drink.
Why doesn't Milo release the sounds?
A moment later she does wistfully admit it does not make her happy to hold back the sounds, but she cannot release them because some are so ugly to hear.
What does Milo say to Azaz?
The doctor comforts him and says that noises are the most important things in the world. Milo replies that King Azaz says words are. The doctor roars that he is wrong. Milo knows they ought to go now and asks if the doctor is going the same way.
What does Alec Bings see?
The boy finally introduces himself as Alec Bings, and explains he can see almost everything: “whatever is inside, behind, around, covered by, or subsequent to anything else. In fact, the only thing I can’t see is whatever happens to be right in front of my nose” (106). It is a bit inconvenient, but his family helps because his father only sees to things, his mother looks after things, etc.
What time does Milo open his eyes?
At 5:22 a.m., Milo opens his eyes. He knows he ought to wake the conductor, but wonders what it would be like to conduct the sunrise himself. He thinks it will not be that difficult since the musicians are already cued, so at 5:23 he moves his finger in a slight motion. A single piccolo plays a single note and a tiny bit of yellow light flashes.
What does Milo ask Alec about the city of illusions?
Milo asks Alec if people live in the forest, and he replies that they live in a city called Reality. They see the forest, and Milo notices a shiny city off to the left. Alec says it's the City of Illusions, and that they are actually standing on Main Street in the city of Reality. Milo, Tock, and the Humbug are unable to see anything like a city around them. Alec explains that the people who lived in the city never paid any attention to how things looked, and eventually the city began to disappear until it was invisible.
What is the theme of the man in the house with four sides?
The man in the house with four sides represents an interesting exploration of this theme: the man is the smallest giant, the largest midget, the fattest thin man, and the thinnest fat man. And yet he is the same man. The reality one experiences all depends on how one perceives things.
Why does reality appear to disappear?
Reality appears to vanish because the people who lived there did not pay any attention to it. So it became invisible figuratively and literally. It is quite a twist to imagine an orchestra that one watches instead of hears.
What does Milo say about the Humbug?
When Milo comments that the view is beautiful, a strange voice counters that " [i]t's all in the way you look at things." Milo whirls around and sees a boy about his age floating several feet above the ground. "For instance," the floating boy continues, "If you happened to like deserts, you might not think this was beautiful at all."
What does Milo ask the boy about the boy?
Milo asks the boy how the boy is able to float in the air at the same time as the boy was about to ask Milo how Milo is able to touch the ground with his feet. In his family, the boy explains, everyone is born with their heads at the height they will be once they grow up; instead of growing steadily toward the sky, their legs grown down toward the ground. Milo explains that, where he comes from, the opposite is true.
What does Alec tell Milo to do?
Alec tells him to simply start thinking like an adult and once Milo does, sure enough he begins to rise off the ground. Then he suddenly drops back to the earth and declares that he'd prefer to keep seeing things as a child since it is "not so far to fall.".
Who is the boy in the movie "Ilo"?
The boy introduces himself as Alec Bings and claims that he has the power to see through things. In fact, the only thing he cannot see, Alec explains, "is whatever happens to be right in front of [his] nose.". ilo is dazzled by this and wants to be able to see things as well.
What happens to Milo after the sun rises?
The colors at first begin normally but Milo quickly loses control , causing all the colors to become wild and mismatched. Finally, after the sun has risen and set a full seven times, he gives up and drops his arms. It is 5:27 a.m., and it looks like night again.
When was Phantom Tollbooth published?from litcharts.com
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Bullseye Books edition of The Phantom Tollbooth published in 1988.
What chapter is "How you look at things"?from litcharts.com
Chapter 9. It’s All in How You Look at Things Quotes
What did the Mathemagician say?from litcharts.com
The Mathemagician nodded knowingly and stroked his chin several times. “You’ll find,” he remarked gently, “that the only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that’s hardly worth the effort.”
What chapter is the return of rhyme and reason?from litcharts.com
Chapter 19. The Return of Rhyme and Reason Quotes
What chapter is Castle in the Air?from litcharts.com
Chapter 18. Castle in the Air Quotes
Did Milo think about words before?from litcharts.com
Milo had never thought much about words before, but these looked so good that he longed to have some.
What chapter is confusion in the market place?
Chapter 4. Confusion in the Market Place
What chapter is "How you look at things"?
Chapter 9. It’s All in How You Look at Things Quotes
What is the main character's name in the book "The Lands Beyond"?
The protagonist of the novel, Milo is a little boy who, when readers first meet him, is chronically bored. He doesn’t see the point in doing anything, whether that’s learning in school or playing with his many toys at home. His only goal is to get wherever he’s going as fast as possible, without noticing anything of the world around him. Things start to change for Milo when he gets home one day and finds a mysterious package in his room. It’s a kit to erect a purple tollbooth that will lead him to the Lands Beyond. In his toy electric car, Milo passes through the tollbooth into the Lands Beyond. During his journey through these lands, Milo transforms. At first, Milo finds the Lands Beyond nonsensical and confusing, as he’s never had to think much before. As he meets the watchdog Tock, Milo starts to see that his time is valuable—it’s horrible to waste it. He becomes interested in words, spelling, and math for the first time as King Azaz in Dictionopolis and the Mathemagician in Digitopolis show him how fun and useful it can be to use language, numbers, and logic to express himself and communicate with others. In the Forest of Sight, Milo learns how useful it can be to see things from different perspectives and not take everything at face value. As he internalizes these lessons, Milo gains the tools he needs to best the demons in the Mountains of Ignorance and rescue the princesses Rhyme and Reason, thereby restoring figurative rhyme and reason to the kingdom of Wisdom. When he accomplishes his task, Milo returns home to discover that he’s only been gone an hour, even though it feels like he’s been gone for weeks. He’s excited to go back through the tollbooth the next day to spend more time with his friends. But when he gets home from school and discovers that the tollbooth is gone, Milo realizes that his experiences in the Lands Beyond have taught him how to amuse himself and find joy in his real world—he no longer needs the Lands Beyond to entertain himself.
How to stop Tock from sobbing?
To stop Tock from sobbing, Milo asks how he became a watchdog. Tock says it’s tradition in his family. There used... (full context)
What did the Mathemagician say?
The Mathemagician nodded knowingly and stroked his chin several times. “You’ll find,” he remarked gently, “that the only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that’s hardly worth the effort.”
What chapter is the return of rhyme and reason?
Chapter 19. The Return of Rhyme and Reason Quotes
What chapter is Castle in the Air?
Chapter 18. Castle in the Air Quotes
What is the litchart in Phantom Tollbooth?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Phantom Tollbooth, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
What does Alec suggest about illusions?
As Alec explains illusions to Milo and the Humbug, he implies that a lot of times, people see what they want to see —their imaginations fill in any gaps and turn their worlds into what they want them to be. This, Alec suggests, is easier than seeing reality for what it is. It’s possible to see this as commentary on the modern world, where life isn’t always great, but where shiny new things can sometimes make life seem better if a person focuses on those new things.
What does Alec tell Milo about reality?
Alec tells Milo that they’re right in the middle of Reality’s Main Street. Tock and the Humbug see nothing, but Alec leads them down the street and points out invisible sights and greets people. The people all walk with their heads down. When Milo says he doesn’t see a city, Alec says the people don’t either—but they don’t miss it. He explains that years ago, there used to be a beautiful city here that people loved to admire. The point wasn’t to get to one’s destination in this city; the point was to admire things along the way. But people discovered you can go faster if you look down—and as everyone started doing that, things got dirtier and uglier. Nobody cared about the city, so the city disappeared. Milo remembers all the times he’s walked home in this manner.
What does Alec say about the missing city?
Alec says that nobody cared enough to do anything about the missing city. Telling residents the city is gone doesn’t do any good. He explains that many actually live in Illusions—but that, in a way, is just as bad. Milo suggests that someday, they’ll have a city that’s easy to see, like Illusions, and hard to forget, like Reality, and Alec says it’s possible. Rhyme and Reason just have to come back.
What does Alec propose in the book?
Alec essentially proposes here that the journey, not the destination, is the point of going anywhere. So if a person can be happy where they are, they’re not lost, per his logic. Milo, though, seems to have a destination in mind (though he hasn’t mentioned one), so this idea is unsettling for him. It requires him to think about moving through the world in a new way.
What does reality mean in the book?
Reality reads as a representation of the modern world in which Juster was writing . The modern world arguably prioritizes expediency over interpersonal connection or genuine enjoyment, which is why the residents of Reality—and Milo, who lives in the real modern world—are more concerned with getting places fast than in enjoying the journey. The disappearing fictional city symbolizes people in the real world’s inability to notice the world around them, and it’s significant that Milo recognizes this. Presumably, because he recognizes that he does ignores his surroundings and sees the horrifying consequences of doing so, Milo will change his ways once he returns home.
What does the man tell Milo?
The man draws Milo close and tells him not to ruin it. To tall men he’s a midget, to short men he’s a giant, to skinny people he’s fat, and to fat people he’s thin. He has four jobs for this reason, even though he’s totally ordinary. Milo asks again if they’re lost, but the man can’t answer. He sends them back to ask the giant and closes the door.
Overview
Themes
Since no one has ever bothered to explain the importance of learning to Milo, he regards school as the biggest waste of time in his life. Juster intended that the book speak to the importance of learning to love learning. Teaching methods that might bore children, by memorization for example, are mocked in the book, as in the case of the Spelling Bee. Like the Bee, the Humbug's insult to his fellow insect goes over Milo's head, but possibly not the reader's: "A slavish concer…
Plot
Milo is a boy bored by the world around him; every activity seems a waste of time. He arrives home from another boring day at school to find a mysterious package. Among its contents are a small tollbooth and a map of "the Lands Beyond," illustrating the Kingdom of Wisdom (which will also guide the reader from its place on the endpapers of the book). Attached to the package is a note …
Writing
Architect Norton Juster was living in his hometown of Brooklyn, after three years in the Navy. In June 1960, he gained a $5,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to write a children's book about cities. Juster argued that the young baby boomers would soon have responsibility for the cities, and many lived in the suburbs and did not know them. In his proposal, he said he wanted "to stimulate and height…
Influences and comparisons
The Phantom Tollbooth contains allusions to many works, including those loved by Juster in his own upbringing. Some of Juster's favorite books as a child, including The Wind in the Willows, had endpaper maps; Juster insisted on one, over Feiffer's opposition, going so far as to sketch one and require that his collaborator reproduce it in his own style. Juster was also inspired by his father Samuel's love of puns, with which the book is more than sprinkled. In his childhood, Juste…
Publication and reception
The Phantom Tollbooth was published in September 1961. Its competition among new books for the minds and hearts of children included Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. The Bronze Bow, set in the Biblical times, was newly available, and would bring Elizabeth George Speare her second Newbery Award in three years. Neither publisher nor first-time author expected many sales for The Phantom Tollbooth, but Juster was nevertheless disappointed not to find his work on sto…
Later history, editions and adaptations
After publication, Juster sent a copy of the book to the Ford Foundation, with an explanation of how the projected book on cities had transformed into The Phantom Tollbooth. He never heard back from them, and learned years later that they were delighted by the turn of events. With the book having become an unexpected hit, Juster found himself answering letters from young readers, and a few parents. He found that children understood the wordplay at different ages, an…
See also
• List of The Phantom Tollbooth characters