Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
Who Moved My Cheese focuses on change. The story begins with the characters: Angela, Nathan, Carlos, and Jessica, and Michael who are old school friends who gather to reminisce about the different paths their lives have taken. The group all talks about how their lives have ended up completely unlike how they had expected. Michael offers his take on the theme of change and decides to share a story.
The story centers around two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two "little people", Hem and Haw. The author utilizes a play on words when selecting the names of the characters. There is significance to the names Hem and Haw which is shown later by the little people's whiney and complaining nature early on in the story. The four characters live in a complex maze and are forced to find cheese to survive. While finding the cheese is somewhat easy at first, Hem and Haw decide to take comfort in their daily ritual because everyday they wake up, the cheese is always replenished. They never think of the "what if", when unexpectedly, the cheese is missing one day. In contrast to Hem and Haw, Sniff and Scurry are prepared for such an event making sure to carry their jogging shoes around their necks and searching for the next station of cheese as soon as the first is diminished. While Hem and Haw, literally, Hem and Haw at first, complaining and choosing to just sit around and wait for things to happen, they finally realize that they will die if they don't find more cheese.
The Mice are very practical and literal in their actions. In short, they do whatever they have to do and overcome any obstacle to obtain the cheese and survive. Of course, there are many setbacks in the maze, but they do no...
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... that I gained from the story. There are many times even to this day that fear affects me on a daily basis. Do I send my résumé for this job? Should I even bother? Am I just going to be rejected? Well, if I don't attempt, I will never know, and not knowing is much worse than an attempt and fail. The hardest part, is exactly what Haw said, taking the first step, because after that, no matter what happens whether it be success or failure, you will always learn something and gain valuable knowledge along your journey and eventually you will find success.
I was both inspired and refreshed by what this short book had to offer. Even though the words and text could have easily been read to a third grader, the themes and situations are truly timeless and universal. The way these complex emotions and were conveyed in a simple manner, made it even more enjoyable to read.
The diverse alternation of point of views also provides the story an effective way to reach out to readers and be felt. The characterisation is effectively done and applied as Sam, Grace, and the other supporting characters play individual, crucial roles in the course of the story. All the elements of a typical young adult novel, consisting of a gap-filled relationship between children and parents, emotion-driven teenagers, and a unique conflict that makes the book distinct from fellow novels, combined with the dangerous consequences of the challenges the couple encounter, make the book different from all other of the same genre. The plot unfolds slowly giving readers enough time to adjust and anticipate the heavy conflict when it arises. It has gotten us so hooked but the only thing we could possibly dislike about it was the slow pace of plot. The anticipation was too much to handle and we were practically buzzing and bouncing to know how the story turns out as we read. It builds the anticipation, excitement, thrill, sadness, grief, loss, and longing in such an effective way to entice and hook readers further into the world of Sam and
This book was brilliant. There were moments that made me laugh, moments that made me tremble in my chair, moments that made me cry, moments that melted my heart, and moments that made me want to rip my hair out at the roots. This book has it all, and it delivers it through a cold but much needed message.
Burns talks about the mouse in sympathy and is sorrowful that he had taken the mouse’s home away from the mouse by accidentally destroying its home for the winter, and that the mouse’s dream was to dwell in their cozy home, and even though the mouse had prepared everything Burns says that “The best laid schemes of mice and men go often awry.”
Life is a complicated process. It’s filled with many things that keep it interesting but at the same time, very dull. Life’s what you make it and for many, it’s something we all strive for. In the story, The Space Between, the author takes full advantage of the premise as there’s rarely a dull moment- as in life. The book is filled with many literary devices that work nicely with the plot and dialogue. These include; metaphors, similes, irony, personification, and many more. We follow a young man who is finding his way in the world. He has only a week to change his life for the better. But he will face many obstacles on the way that brings the readers into a startling and fun journey.
High school students in many American schools first read this book in an English class, which has been a staple for many schools. A required reading assignment exposes many more people to the book. Even though the book is considered to be a children’s book by many, it is still enjoyed by people of all ages.
‘Of Mice and Men’ is based on the experiences of a migrant farmer, set in 1930’s America. The characters are also symbolized as realistic people, but influenced by the issues and circumstances based on the Wall Street crash, the American Dream and being set after WWI. I empathies for these characters for the consequences of these historical events are what to have made ‘Of Mice and Men’ a tragedy in relation to loneliness.
It may start with one simple spark in the darkest of times. When the walls of the world seem as though they are squeezing the life out of you, and you're trapped under the demands and desires of an overwhelming society; when you feel so broken inside, your identity is almost unrecognizable. When this pain feels as if it is too much to bear, it may be that one spark that suddenly lights your world anew and in some cases changes your life forever. I read it over the long hours of one night, unable to put it down, until suddenly the light of the sunrise penetrated my blinds. As I closed the book with a satisfied smile, tears streamed down my face until the title of the book became one big blur.
The theme of this book is that the human capacity to adapt to and find happiness in the most difficult circumstances. Each character in the novel shows this in their way. For instance, their family is randomly taken from their home and forced to work but they still remain a close nit family. In addition, they even manage to stick together after being separated for one of their own. These show how even in the darkest time they still manage to find a glimmer of hope and they pursued on.
Last but not least, O’Connor confirms that even a short story is a multi-layer compound that on the surface may deter even the most enthusiastic reader, but when handled with more care, it conveys universal truths by means of straightforward or violent situations. She herself wished her message to appeal to the readers who, if careful enough, “(…)will come to see it as something more than an account of a family murdered on the way to Florida.”
The book has touched my heart and my soul. The book is a strong book with astonishing characterizations and environment description. In some places in the book, I was greatly touched and went on crying. The book has strong feelings and emotions. The ending was the perfect thing. I’m extremely happy to read it and it was worth it.
By using easy to comprehend language Millay convinces her readers to go along with turbulent and sometimes unrealistic action to convey common feelings for all people. No matter what theme the reader applies to this poem it is important in some way to every reader and has meaning in many situations.
Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson, is a parable that shows how individuals deal with change differently. In this story the four characters, two mice named Sniff and Scurry and two little people, about the size of mice, named Hem and Haw. These four are in a maze searching for cheese; the cheese is a metaphor for the things that make feel complete. The maze represents the environment such as the earth, employment, home, family, or whatever is associated with the change.
In this book review I represent and analyze the three themes I found the most significant in the novel.
Nonetheless, this really is a tale of compelling love between the boy and his father. The actions of the boy throughout the story indicate that he really does love his father and seems very torn between his mother expectations and his father’s light heartedness. Many adults and children know this family circumstance so well that one can easily see the characters’ identities without the author even giving the boy and his father a name. Even without other surrounding verification of their lives, the plot, characters, and narrative have meshed together quite well.
I would recommend this book to anybody, it appeals any audience. It's a wonderful story