The students in Room 104 have had a quite a significant week
regarding discussions! We’ve been focusing on symbolism and reflected upon the significance
of various objects, characters, and concepts within various pieces of literature.
We applied symbolism to our current novel, The Phantom Tollbooth. The
students discussed the symbolism of various concepts, such as the box of words
Milo received from King Azaz. We re-read this part in chapter 8 when King Azaz
presents the box of words to Milo:
“In this box are all
the words I know. Most of them you will never need, some you will use
constantly, but with them you may ask all the questions which have never been
answered and answer all the questions which have never been asked. All the
great books of the past and all the ones yet to come are made with these words.
With them there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. All you must learn to do is
use them well and in the right places.”
The students found the meaning of words to symbolize the
power and value of communication. A connection was made to the sack of sounds,
which was also gifted to Milo and shares a similar significance. We connected
this to the symbolism of the box of words because sounds are needed for many
forms of communication. The students found the sack of sounds significant in
their ability to make a person feel companionship. They also discussed the
beauty of sounds, even if some sounds are simply “noise”. Below is a snippet of
our discussion. Enjoy! :)
