The Maze

<p>Like Aesop's Fables and Orwell's Animal Farm The Maze is populated with animal characters who in their words and actions reveal truths about human nature. In The Woods a very popular clever and ambitious rat named Sniff-who commands a pack of deputy rats known as The Five-intends to replace the aging leader Owl when he retires on election day in two weeks. As a famous athlete of the air in his youth Owl has established The Tradition of Wings.</p><p><br></p><p>In his speeches to the animals Sniff-an assistant to Owl but already acting as if he's the leader-promises to establish what he calls The Kingdom of Sharing in which rats will be leaders and all other animals will be followers. Opposing Sniff's rise to power are two winged animals-a well-known poet hawk Wing and his studious friend Butterfly-and Claws a young robust and competitive squirrel.</p><p><br></p><p>The central image of the story is a maze. Sniff has one built ostensibly for community recreation but actually to make money and to display rats' superiority as maze-runners. Other characters in this sometimes-humorous story include Spider an architect; Snake a shady character; Stub a mole who assists Sniff; and Frog an instructor of bug-catching.</p><p><br></p><p>The Maze is not only about human nature but about animal life in general. It explores necessities of survival such as status and power altruism and self-interest the defense of territory and the conquering of enemies through group cooperation.</p>