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51 pages 1 hour read

James Patterson

Word of Mouse

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016

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Character Analysis

Isaiah

Isaiah is the protagonist and first-person narrator of Word of Mouse. He is a mouse who, along with his 96 siblings, is subjected to experimentation at Lamina Labs, resulting in him having bright blue fur, an ear tag for identification, and exceptional intelligence and abilities, including the ability to speak and type. His journey is about learning to have confidence in himself and his abilities.

At the beginning of the book, he admits that he is the most cowardly of the siblings and easily frightened. After the rest of his siblings are captured and returned to the lab, he is forced to rely on himself more. He ends up in a nearby suburban neighborhood and uses his skills to protect himself. As part of living with the local mischief under the Brophy family’s house, he shows his bravery when participating in nightly raids to acquire food. He also shows his ingenuity and resourcefulness when coming up with a method to carry more food using a napkin, rescuing Gwindell from a mousetrap, and saving them from Lucifer when the cat traps them in the bathroom. Each achievement bolsters his self-confidence and builds his connections to his new friends.

These instances show that Isaiah’s true talent is leadership. His strategic mind and ability to inspire others come to the fore during missions into the house and, later, the invasion of the Lamina Lab. Isaiah’s ability to think on his feet and use his intelligence creatively often turns the tide in the mischief’s favor, illustrating that true leadership involves intellect and heart.

The lab, once both Isaiah’s home and a place of suffering, represents his worst fears. Yet, his love for his family leads him to confront these fears head-on. In the beginning, he plans to wait for his siblings to find him; by the end, he is willing to confront his past and save them instead. Isaiah’s story is a celebration of the power of embracing the things that make one unique. In the end, he not only finds his place in the world but redefines what it means to be a hero.

Hailey

Hailey is one of the major supporting characters in Word of Mouse. She is 12 and a new resident of the suburban neighborhood Isaiah enters after escaping the lab. They meet when Isaiah sneaks into her house through the pet door and begins eating her crumb cake. She is characterized as a kind and open-minded girl who likes animals, as demonstrated by her two pets: a small dog named Dolce and a cat named Red Boy.

Through Hailey, the book demonstrates how open-mindedness is key to forming friendship. At first, she panics and tries to hit Isaiah with a newspaper; once he starts typing on the computer to communicate, she calms down and becomes curious. This response is crucial in establishing a bond of trust between them, and their shared experiences of feeling different lead them to form a friendship. Like Isaiah, Hailey looks different from the other children: She has white hair and eyelashes, and her eyes are ice blue. While never outright stated, these traits are likely the result of her having albinism.

Through her friendship with Isaiah, Hailey learns to accept her differences and believe in herself. While she fantasizes about responding to Melissa’s taunting with name-calling of her own, she realizes this would only make her like her bully; instead, she learns to laugh off the insults. As a result, she begins to enjoy going to school more, particularly her English class. She supports Isaiah and the other mice he introduces to her by giving them food, carrying them in her hoodie for protection, and participating in the rescue at the laboratory during the story’s climax. By the end, she has fully learned to stand up for herself and others, which she demonstrates at church by getting up in front of the congregation and giving them an impromptu sermon about the importance of respecting all creatures. By sharing Isaiah and Mikayla’s stories with the congregation, she challenges the preconceived notions of her fellow humans and urges them to see mice as deserving of respect and kindness.

Mikayla

Mikayla is a major supporting character in the story and the first mouse Isaiah encounters after fleeing the laboratory. She is one of the Brophy mischief mice and, like the rest, appears to be a regular brown mouse. Her differences are not as apparent as Isaiah’s; this is because she has kept them a secret. She has a beautiful and powerful singing voice, which is frowned upon in the mischief due to their attitudes and belief that “Girls don’t sing” (63). As a result of her secrecy, she is viewed as somewhat standoffish by the rest of the mischief. She is also skeptical of Isaiah when she first meets him. However, once she learns he has lost his family, she invites him to join hers.

Many of Isaiah’s actions during the food raids are motivated by the desire to impress her and convince her to sing for him again. For example, he risks discovery by Lucifer when he goes back to retrieve the cream horn because he learns she likes them. While Mikayla initially resigns herself to a life of secrecy to fit into the role expected of her by the mischief, her friendship with Isaiah eventually convinces her to open up. After Isaiah introduces her to Hailey, she sings for him for the first time on the ride back to the burrow. Later, when their raiding party is trapped by Lucifer, he convinces her to sing for the first time in front of the others. She sings the Battle Call of the Mice, traditionally sung by male mice, to summon the rest of the mischief to their aid and scare away the cat. Finally, at the end of the book, the two of them sing together to the human congregation at the church.

Lucifer

Lucifer is the Brophy family’s cat and the main antagonist of Word of Mouse for most of the story. He is described as a sphynx cat with bright yellow eyes and a malicious attitude. Unlike Hailey’s cat, Red Boy, who is content to lay in the sun, Lucifer lives up to his devilish name by toying with the mice every time he attacks them. For Isaiah and the mice of the Brophy mischief, Lucifer is a living embodiment of the danger that every small creature must evade to survive. He is a constant threat during their food raids on the Brophy house or when wandering in the surrounding suburban neighborhood. His interactions with the mice, especially during the chase scenes, show his intelligence and cunning. He is not just a mindless predator; he is strategic and persistent. However, he isn’t brave. He runs away after cornering the raiding party in the bathroom, confronted by the horde of mice. He drops out of the story at this point, and his position as the main antagonist is replaced by Mr. Brophy and Dr. Ledbetter at the laboratory.

Mr. Brophy

Mr. Brophy is the janitor at Lamina Labs and owns the house the Brophy mischief lives under. While he isn’t the primary antagonist of Word of Mouse and is not depicted as inherently evil, he passively allows unethical practices to continue. His character is defined by his apathy and compliance. The mice are able to make their initial escape because he propped open the lab’s back door while he was cleaning. His behavior at home reflects a similar disregard for responsibility and empathy. He leaves tasks half-done, demonstrated by his untidy house and the clutter in his truck. The narrative also suggests a broader pattern of negligence and apathy in his family life.

When Isaiah first arrives at the Brophy mischief, he doesn’t recognize Mr. Brophy as The Mop Man, but does notice a familiar smell coming from the laundry pile containing the man’s work clothes. Later, he recognizes the keys on Mr. Brophy’s key ring as the ones to the lab. This leads Isaiah to panic, but later the mice decide to use his truck to transport the mouse army to the laboratory for the rescue attempt. He provides an obstacle for the mice to overcome as he attempts to attack them with a broom. When the police arrive, he is arrested along with Dr. Ledbetter.

Dr. Ledbetter

Dr. Ledbetter is a key antagonist and the head of Lamina Labs. While not present for most of the book, he becomes a threat during the rescue attempt at the laboratory. Dr. Ledbetter represents the archetype of a scientist whose ambition, detachment from morals, and lack of ethical considerations lead to the suffering of animals. His role in the lab is not just managerial, but involves the hands-on experimentation on mice. His actions and attitude contrast with the story’s themes of empathy, community, and the intrinsic value of all creatures. His condescension toward Mr. Brophy, the janitor, and his dismissive attitude toward the security personnel highlight his belief in the superiority of his intellect and the righteousness of his mission. His superiority complex extends to his interactions with the mice when he taunts their efforts to open the door: “I guess we didn’t give you enough intelligence to figure out the difference between a door you push open and one you pull” (259). His immediate impulse to dissect Isaiah’s brain upon discovering his advanced capabilities demonstrates his view of the mice as mere objects devoid of rights or intrinsic value that he can exploit and control. Ultimately, however, his plans are thwarted through the collective efforts of the mice, with help from Hailey. Dr. Ledbetter denies the lab’s experimentation on mice when the police and ASPCA arrive. However, they don’t believe him, and he is arrested.

Isaiah’s Siblings

Isaiah has 96 biological brothers and sisters who are all kept in Lamina Labs’ laboratory. Like him, they were all forcibly experimented on, resulting in each having their own abilities and bright-colored fur. For most of the book, the siblings aren’t physically present, as they are all captured and taken back to the lab. As a result, they serve as a comparison point for Isaiah, and their rescue is a goal for him to attain.

While the majority of these mice are not described, there are three in particular that have an impact on the story. The first is Abe, who has “electric crimson” fur and whom Isaiah describes as his “very best friend” (269). His bright red fur is reflective of his bold and humorous nature. “Winnie the Wonderful” is one of the sisters (174). She is characterized by her warmth and kindness and her chartreuse, or yellow-green, coloration. Finally, while Benji’s color is never described, he is critical, as he’s the sibling that Isaiah compares himself to the most throughout the book. Benji is the one who planned the siblings’ original breakout from the laboratory and is portrayed as the group’s de facto leader. Despite his gruff exterior and critical demeanor during the rescue attempt on the lab, Benji still participates when they work together to unlock the door.

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