Milo

Milo is a young boy with too much time and too little to do. At the beginning of the novel, Milo is perpetually bored and glum. The mysterious delivery of the Phantom Tollbooth is especially suited to shake Milo out of his thoughtless and disinterested rut. Indeed, it is addressed to Milo "who has plenty of time." Despite his glum outlook and lack of interest in anything, Milo is an appealing character in whom a reader can usually identify some of his own bad traits and habits.

Milo's journey to the Lands Beyond begins his true education. Milo has never been interested in school, in part because he has never had it explained to him why learning is important. In the Lands Beyond, Milo will be shown over and over why learning and knowledge are important. His journey begins in the Doldrums, where the lassitude and lack of...