what max is wearing is a reflection of himself, his actions and his emotional state. He's a wolf because that animal is wild, it's active when most are at rest, and it doesn't tend to fall in line with what people outside its tribe tell it to do. While max is wearing the wolf suit he "made mischief of one kind"(Maurice Sendak 4). He destroys the house to build what he wants and scares the dog for his own amusement. The outfit is a reflection of his thought, attitude and the disregard for the emotional state of those around him

Technically he had no choice but to leave his mother since "he was sent to bed without eating anything" (Maurice Sendak 8) and his environment suddenly shifted to one away from his house, however there's meaning in why that happened. Max didn't feel accepted in his home, despite the disregard for the house and his dog, he must care for his mom given that she has authority over him. She limited his metaphorical reign of terror and given that he couldn't do anything about it he went to a free land where he can be a leader, where he can make the rules, and where he can do what he wants.

It's max playing, it's max being able to do what he wants without a concern of hurting the wild things or the island he's on. It's him embracing his freedom, and enjoying himself with the wild friends he has tamed. Unlike home, he can be himself here, and nobody can stop him. However, when the wild things fell asleep "max the king of all wild things was lonely"(Maurice Sendak 32) and eh remembered he was also loved in the home he escaped long ago

The "still hot" dinner reinforces the idea that Max's journey to where the wild things are was just a part of his imagination. When Max got back home, "he found his supper waiting for him and it was still hot" even after his "year long" voyage back home from the forest (Sendak 38). The forest, the wild things, and Max's voyage were all part of a facade that Max created due to his anger towards his mother for punishing him. The smell of the "still hot" supper is the object that reminded him of his home; this is what ultimately "brought" Max back home and made him realize that he missed the comfort and affection from someone who loved him.

The food in this story is Max's supper. It is the object that he wants the most and he spirals into anger when he is punished and "sent to bed without eating anything" (Sendak 8). The supper could portray the archetypal role of the magic because it is provided by his mother, a positive role model in his life; it is also the driving force that "returns" him home because the smell of it reminds him of his mother and the comfort of his own house. Ultimately, THE FOOD is what his supper symbolizes: love and comfort.

The others in this short story are the monsters because they are different from Max and his mother. When Max first shows up to where the wild things live, the monsters "roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and showed their terrible claws" which are non-human qualities and behaviors (Sendak 21). The monsters also live in a forest on the outskirts of the world, separated from the rest of humanity. Their non-human qualities make them different from Max and his mother because they are less behaved, they don't have the love and comfort of a mentor figure, and they look different from Max and his mother.

The archetypal task is to have Max understand power and authority because in the beginning, Max acts out by telling other what to do. Once Max gets to the island he becomes respected by the wild things and they pronounce him King. There also was a loss of innocence in Max after he left home to rule the wild things.

A rule of three comes into play when Max is crowned King of the wild things and after there are pictures of the wild things in groups of three. This signifies the idea that they have respect for each other and the idea that it only takes three!

I think that the helpless central characters are the wild things because they're there to guide Max and teach him how to be independent after his parents divorce. They allow him to grow and give him people to idolize in a sense, considering "his mother called him 'WILD THING'" (Sendak 8).

Max is the magical child because we as the readers are following him around to see what theme he is going to learn.. he different because he's the only human we see the entire book. The Monsters declare him as king. His magical quality is being able to go to the land of the monsters and become their king.

The magic is helping Max realize that he ha to stop misbehaving and go back with his family because that's what's important. The wisdom of family helps Max grow up.

He's being saved by being able to return home with his family. The theme is the importance of family.