The wind
The plot opens up with wind as the first instigator of disaster, which makes the school sway and disrupts the students on the way there. It is symbolic because of its unexpected nature and the disturbance it causes, and makes Kathy excited that the school will fall down, and they won’t be forced to go there anymore, hence the title of the book itself.
“Wayside School is Falling Down” - song
A rendition of the “London Bridge is Falling Down”, the song that hold the same title as the book, is symbolic of the disruption that drives the plot. Kathy is excitedly singing the grim spin-off of the song, including blood and death of the students, which provides a dark twist to this children novel.
Mrs. Jewl’s cowbell
Mrs. Jewl’s cowbell is a significant symbol of the novel. She uses it to gather and guide her students. The implication is that she sees the students as a herd of cows. The twist at the end, with cows overrunning the school after hearing the sound of the bell, shows the ridiculousness of its use for that purpose.
“Star Bringing Purple”
A miscommunication between Mrs. Jewls and her students with the rest of the teachers and students shows an interesting play of words and phrases which sound similar or exactly the same. They initially hear the phrase “star bringing purple” being yelled at them from below, following with “stop bringing yorbel”, up to the correct phrase of “stop ringing your bell”. It is a comedic, but also interesting interpretation of language and listening comprehension in the novel.
