Where The Wild Things Are Padlet by Justin Sedrak

Why does Max wear a wolf suit? (Jake)

jevans4854 — 2024-01-12 18:55:25 UTC

In the story, "Where the Wild Things Are", Max is seen wearing a wolf suit throughout the story. The wolf suit seems to allow Max to enhance his imagination and become something other than himself. It almost made Max become a different person and so he "made mischief of one kind". This illustrates the fact that Max uses this suit as an escape to be something different from himself.

Who is the magical child saving from what? What is the lesson? (Justin)

jsedrak8422 — 2024-01-12 18:59:38 UTC

Sendak creates the magical child as the leader and king of the wild things. Max plays and has fun with them at first conducting the "wild rumpus," however also teaches them lessons when he "sends them to bed without supper" similar to how his mother punished him. Max, being the ruler of all the wild things still did not feel loved or at home there. He returned to his bed after he missed his mother and civilization, symbolized in Sendak's description of him smelling good food.

Why does he leave his mother? (Jake)

jevans4854 — 2024-01-12 18:59:57 UTC

In the beginning of the story, Max is seen causing trouble and problems in the house while his mother was preparing dinner. Once she was done, his mother sent Max to his room with no dinner because of the way he was behaving. That is when the "forest grew ... and grew ". After this Max travels on a boat to where the wild things are and leaves his mother.

What, really, is the "wild rumpus?" (Jake)

jevans4854 — 2024-01-12 19:05:21 UTC

What the "wild rumpus" really is, is the angered thoughts that Max endured while being sent to his room. After Max had caused problems in the house, his mother sent him to his room with no dinner to eat. He was angered by this and so after traveling to where the wild things are, he began the wild rumpus with the wild things. This was a coping mechanism to fend off his anger.

What is the magic? What wisdom or wickedness does the magic represent? (Justin)

jsedrak8422 — 2024-01-12 19:10:36 UTC

Sendak's description of the magic in "Where the Wild Things Are" is emphasized in Max's taming of the wild things where he yelled "BE STILL!" and was made king on the island. The magic represents the immature child's wild behavior above the "wild things" with yellow eyes and crooked teeth. Sendak's illustrates Max's magic as it reveals how childish he is. In his wolf suit and the wild rumpus, Max is still a child who's goal is to have fun. The magic was only a reflection of his own actions and imagination.

Who is the magical child? How is he different from other children? How is he "marked?" What are his magical qualities? (Justin)

jsedrak8422 — 2024-01-12 19:18:59 UTC

Sendak establishes Max as the magical child in the story in his appearance on every picture and page. His will to remain in his wolf suit separates him from a normal child and marks him as "wild." Max also returns to his fantasy land after an argument with his mother, as he uses it similar as a defense mechanism to leave to a world he feels more comfortable in. Max's actions of controlling the wild things and establishment as king over them ensures his status as the magic child. He is unlike regular children and sees himself as wild in a wolf suit.

What is the archetypal task? How is it completed? (Kamryn)

ksinclair0470 — 2024-01-16 18:56:44 UTC

The archetypal task in the story is for our main character, Max, to mature and grow despite his desires to create mischief. After Max gets in trouble with his mother, he begins his journey of finding and taming the “wild things”. When Max is able to tame the wild things he begins to see a lot of himself in them, this is representative of Max realizing his wild side and learning how to be calm when he needs to be. He also realizes that the wild things still get to have fun but when its is time to be mature they make sure to do so, and that he should do the same.

How does the rule of threes operate in the story? What is the significance? (Kamryn)

ksinclair0470 — 2024-01-17 18:14:23 UTC

In “The Wild Things” there are many instances where ideas show up in groups of three. Before Max gets in trouble, we can see him stomping around, playing with a hammer and nails, and jumping down the stairs. After getting in trouble, he begins his journey we then see him have three interruptions on his boat ride. Lastly, Max is greeted on the island by three monsters. The events happening in threes provide rhythm and balance throughout the story. It also helps emphasize the change in our main character since we see Max’s bad behavior happen in threes and his good behavior not happen in threes.

Who is the helpless central character? Are there multiple? How could we see this through multiple perspectives? (Kamryn)

ksinclair0470 — 2024-01-17 18:26:29 UTC

In the story, you could argue all of the characters fit the “helpless central character” title and some point in the story. However our main character, Max, fits the description the best. Max begins the story as an outcast due to his bad and immature behavior, then when he begins his journey to become more mature he is the only human in a world full of monsters. He realizes that himself and the monsters aren't that different and is then able to save himself by taming the monsters and essentially taming his own bad behavior, acting as both the child hero and the helpless central character.

What is the significance of the “still hot” dinner left for Max? (Adam)

ablocher0778 — 2024-01-18 16:18:18 UTC

Sendak uses the "still hot dinner" as a call home to Max, as he smells from "far away across the world," good things to eat. Not a whole lot of time passed during his journey and it features his strong sense of imagination. Max was sent to bed by his mom without supper for acting out, which is the leading reason for him to imagine the Wild Things. His return home for the food shows what he truly loves and cherishes, and underlines his role as the magical child. Max finds a sense of maturity and realizes there's more important things than being rebellious and wild.