__Awfully cute, and perfectly polished. No wonder it won a scholarship! It makes you think a bit. I like that the experience doesn't change Biter or Climber...and also that it doesn't really change Finder, except to give her a new name and sense of accomplishment. She also "changed the world."
__However, when you think about it, she didn't REALLY change the world, because all 3 hamsters still live the same way in the new world. None of them have really broadened their interests.
__Even the "scientist" is focused only on getting out...not on thinking about what the world is, what "Outer Space" is, or what "the Inescapable Force" is. She wants to solve problems, and she pursues the solution effectively. She concludes that Biter and Climber are trying to escape by misguided strategies, but she doesn't question if escape is enough of a goal.
__By the end of the story, I liked all 3 hamsters for having goals...but the story also made me realize that goals are not enough. Hamsters need to have an understanding of their world and themselves. Science generates information, but it doesn't examine the "rodent condition." We need a Philosopher Hamster! LOL, very cute- I liked it a lot.
Fever Red