Essay Questions

Why does Nicodemus want to disassociate himself and his society from the general stereotype of rats?

Nicodemus wants to build a more modern version of a colony. He wants to prove that rats aren't just scum and that they don't feed off of each other. Indeed, he wants to establish rats as a civilized independent society that can operate on its own without any help whatsoever. The stereotype surrounding rats even relates to what we have in society today in relation to race and gender. In the book, the rats are feeling the same type of stereotype except as a separate "race" of organisms. Nicodemus is established as a true leader that wants whats best for his followers, so it only makes sense that he wants his citizens to have a good moral mental and physical character.

Why does the author choose to portray two different points of views in the book?

Whenever an author portrays multiple points of views in the book it gives the reader a look into the perspective of the characters. Every character is built in a specific environment with different life experiences and people that shape them. This significantly impacts the character and his or her interactions and action with specific issues. Nicodemus and Mrs. Frisby are sublime examples of characters that have grown in different lives and have similarities and differences in the issues they represent. The reader gets to know how every experience in the book is from two perspectives and this gives the reader a deeper level of understanding.