As of May 31, 2023, we have updated our Code of Conduct.

Questions tagged [norton-juster]

For questions about the works of US writer Norton Juster (1929–2021) or his life as a writer. He was best known for his whimsical children's books such as "The Phantom Tollbooth" and "The Dot and the Line".

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
5 votes
0 answers
199 views

What does the Whether Man teach Milo in "The Phantom Tollbooth"?

Everything in the Lands Beyond teaches Milo something, so his first encounter, the Whether Man, what does he teach Milo? Milo confuses the 'Whether' man with the 'Weather' man, when he introduces ...
chameleon's user avatar
  • 444
19 votes
1 answer
3k views

How can you come out dry from the Sea of Knowledge?

In The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, what does Canby mean by: "You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and still come out completely dry. Most people do." What does he try to ...
chameleon's user avatar
  • 444
6 votes
2 answers
205 views

How old is Milo? Does he have a family?

The Phantom Tollbooth is all about the boy Milo's voyage of discovery through the allegorical lands of Wisdom (and Ignorance). At the beginning of the story, he starts off in the real world being ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 69.1k
5 votes
2 answers
587 views

Why is the not-so-wicked Which called Faintly Macabre?

In Norton Juster's witty wacky fantasy The Phantom Tollbooth, during their stay in the Dictionopolis dungeon Milo and Tock meet a witch Which. She used to be in charge of selecting which words to use, ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 69.1k
4 votes
1 answer
401 views

Why does the Whether Man live in Expectations, and why does he talk like this?

I've just started re-reading The Phantom Tollbooth, a fantastic tale of wit and wordplay. Every place and person that Milo meets through this story is rich in symbolism, and every piece of description ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 69.1k
5 votes
1 answer
579 views

What was the Great Silence Epidemic of 1712?

One of the many memorable pieces of wordplay in The Phantom Tollbooth is when the heroes meet Dr Dischord and his assistant, the awful DYNNE. "You mean you've never met the awful DYNNE before?" ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 69.1k
25 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the significance of Alec Bings's name in The Phantom Tollbooth?

In The Phantom Tollbooth, basically every name has a significance/pun. For example, Dr. Dischord - his name is 'Discord' with 'chord' - implying bad sounds. Or the DYNNE, or 'din'. And Chroma, with ...
Mithical's user avatar
  • 22k