Why is the tollbooth called a ‘phantom’ tollbooth? The tollbooth is called the ‘phantom’ tollbooth because like a ghost, it disappears after Milo has passed it.

1a(1) : a road (such as an expressway) for the use of which tolls are collected. (2) : a road formerly maintained as a turnpike. b : a main road especially : a paved highway with a rounded surface. 2 : tollgate.

The Phantom Tollbooth is a central symbol in the book: it is the portal that carries Milo to imaginary lands. It frames the story, as it is the starting point for Milo’s journey and the way he returns from fantasy back to his real life. The story itself can be seen as an allegory.

Like the Mathemagician, King Azaz lets Milo go on a quest he knows is “impossible” (19.53), but he doesn’t send Milo away empty-handed. Instead, he gives Milo a treasured box of “all the words [he] know[s]” (8.64).

What lesson does Milo learn in the Doldrums during Act 1? Rules are meant to be broken. Laughter is not a useful human behavior. Failing to think means that you get nowhere.

The Senses Taker’s spell was broken. Milo, Tock and the Humbug realised that they had been tricked. The Senses Taker tells Milo that they only sense he cannot take away is the sense of humour. The demons had reached the top of the mountain and were leaping forward to seize them.

King Azaz finally tells Milo the “secret” he warned him about back in Dictionopolis: the mission to save Rhyme and Reason was actually impossible. The king explains that he kept this from Milo because “so many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”