Fortunately, the Milk

The bottle of milk is symbolic of something to be cherished and protected, above all else—the way a father cherishes and protects his family. The father in the story does everything possible to keep the milk safe and within his reach, willing to risk great personal harm to ensure the milk reaches its destination intact, mirroring the lengths a father will go to for his children. The status of the milk is further elevated by the dinosaurs, who hail it as the hero who saves the universe. The children are simply waiting for some milk to put on their cereal, but in their father’s story, where the milk is revered and worshipped, it is no longer “simply” milk, but a symbol of love, sacrifice, and ultimately success.

The phrase “Fortunately, the milk […]” is repeated in each leg of the adventure, printed in bold type for emphasis. For example, as the father is sucked up into the spaceship: “Fortunately, I had put the milk into my coat pocket” (12). And as the father falls into the sea: “Fortunately, I had kept tight hold of the milk” (16). And as the father climbs up the rope ladder into the hot air balloon: “Fortunately, the milk was pushed deep into the pocket of my coat” (26).