Ralph S. Mouse

Through the characters of Ralph, Matt, Ryan, and Brad, Cleary explores the universal longing for connection and the sense of isolation that comes from being different. Though Ralph is not a human, he still desires to be a part of something larger than himself. Dissatisfied with a life spent scavenging for food and hiding from humans, Ralph searches for meaning and finds it at night atop his red motorcycle. Ralph doesn’t feel he fits in with his mice family, so he fosters relationships with humans, Matt the caretaker and young Ryan. However, as a small animal, Ralph doesn’t fully fit into the human world either. This disconnect leaves him feeling lonely, isolated from the world, and unsure of his identity. The only time Ralph truly feels like himself is when he rides his motorcycle. However, when his relatives beg for rides and Ralph becomes frustrated with their demands, he feels guilty over his reaction to them: “In his heart, he did not feel selfish. He only wanted something that was his alone. A mouse so rarely had something he could call his own” (22). Though Ralph finds friends like Matt and Ryan, who also struggle with loneliness, his search for identity is muddled with uncertainty and a lack of self-confidence.