Synopsis
The plot of the book is about two little people and two mice used by the author to illustrate how people should respond to change. The story revolves around two mice, Scurry and Sniff who live in a Maze with two little people named Hem and Haw.
he author describes the events that the four characters face as they spend their lives feeding on cheese found in the maze. They feed on the cheese from station C but do not take note of the decreasing levels of cheese at the station. They only realize the change when cheese at the station disappears in an occurrence they did not anticipate.
Events in the story take a symbolic turn when they respond differently to the disappearance of cheese at the cheese station C. Scurry and Sniff decide to leave the cheese station C to search for new sources of cheese on what the author describes as the new cheese. Unlike the two mice, Hem and Haw do not take immediate action since they spend time complaining why their cheese was moved.
They term the situation as unfair with Hem strongly questioning who had taken away their Cheese. This questioning and complaining by Hem and Haw is what gives the book its symbolic title. Despite the shock of the disappearance of the cheese, Haw adapts to the new situation and takes on a journey to the unknown to find new cheese.
Symbolism and Lessons
Symbolism relating to the maze and the cheese in the story is what helps the author to present his message in the entire book. Cheese represents things that people want in life while the maze represents the environment where people are looking for what they want in life. Disappearance of the cheese happens in the story to represent the changes that people face in life as they look for what they want in life. The message of the author is founded on the way people respond to change.
Differences in the way people respond to change is clear in the story as the four characters end in different destinies based on their response to change. As Haw moves on with life looking for new cheese, he leaves marks behind to give directions to Hem and any other person who might be interested in taking the same route.
Through these marks, the author highlights the main messages of the story. First is that change happens constantly just as cheese in the maze was constantly being moved. The second message is that people should always anticipate change and constantly monitor their environment just as the characters in the story had to monitor levels of cheese in the maze. Finally, people should enjoy change and move on with it just as the two mice and Haw moved with on to look for new cheese.
Conclusion
While dealing with change can be a difficult process to different people, a few people find it necessary to adapt to change for the better. This is the main argument of the author as he advocates for constant monitoring of the environment in order to effectively adapt to change. Through the story of the two little people and the two mice, the author is able to pass this advocacy to the reader. This is done with a powerful conviction that adapting to change is important as a way of remaining relevant to the changing world.