What is Tock's role in the city of Doldrums?

• A. A market vendor who sells words.
• B. A watchdog with a clock for a body who keeps people from wasting time.
• C. A clockwork guide who logs every minute.
• D. A giant beetle who flatters others.

Answer: (B)

Time is personified in Tock, a watchdog whose body is a clock. In the Doldrums, a place where people drift and waste time, his job is to keep time moving and to nudge others into action. The ticking clock on his body serves as a constant reminder that time is slipping away, so he encourages Milo to keep moving rather than letting things stand still. This makes him a practical guide and a symbolic guardian of time, helping Milo stay on course during the journey. The other descriptions refer to different characters or settings in the book and aren’t what Tock does in the Doldrums.