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The Whether Man
The Lethargians are small creatures who live in the Doldrums. There are many of them, and aside from the fact that they blend in with whatever they’re sitting on, they all look exactly the same. They explain to Milo that in the Doldrums, their entire purpose is to do nothing—they don’t want to do anything but waste time. Milo is, at first, totally at home with the Lethargians, but the watchdog Tock rescues him and impresses upon Milo the importance of thinking and using his time wisely.
The Lethargians Quotes in The Phantom Tollbooth
The The Phantom Tollbooth quotes below are all either spoken by The Lethargians or refer to The Lethargians. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2. Beyond Expectations
Quotes
“That’s a ridiculous law,” said Milo, quite indignantly. “Everybody thinks.”
“We don’t,” shouted the Lethargians at once.
“And most of the time you don’t,” said a yellow one sitting in a daffodil. “That’s why you’re here. You weren’t thinking, and you weren’t paying attention either. People who don’t pay attention often get stuck in the Doldrums.” And with that he toppled out of the flower and fell snoring into the grass.
Milo couldn’t help laughing at the little creature’s strange behavior, even though he knew it might be rude.
“Stop that at once,” ordered the plaid one clinging to his stocking. “Laughing is against the law.”
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Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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The Lethargians Quotes in The Phantom Tollbooth
The The Phantom Tollbooth quotes below are all either spoken by The Lethargians or refer to The Lethargians. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2. Beyond Expectations
Quotes
“That’s a ridiculous law,” said Milo, quite indignantly. “Everybody thinks.”
“We don’t,” shouted the Lethargians at once.
“And most of the time you don’t,” said a yellow one sitting in a daffodil. “That’s why you’re here. You weren’t thinking, and you weren’t paying attention either. People who don’t pay attention often get stuck in the Doldrums.” And with that he toppled out of the flower and fell snoring into the grass.
Milo couldn’t help laughing at the little creature’s strange behavior, even though he knew it might be rude.
“Stop that at once,” ordered the plaid one clinging to his stocking. “Laughing is against the law.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
