Nicodemus said that Johnathan didnt tell Mrs. Bris about NIMH because of the slowing down of the aging process. But Why are Nicodemus and Dr. Ages so much older than all the other rats of NIMH then? shouldnt their aging have slowed too?
shareI took it to mean that they stopped aging like mice and started aging like humans. Dr. Ages looked much younger in the escape but still middle aged. A decade later would make him around 60 (if aging by human standards). In mouse years he would have been 20 years old and dead a long time ago. Jonathan looked like a very young man when he escaped (in mouse years).To age as a human since then would put him around 30 or beyond (though he had probably only been alive like 12 years). In the movie, mrs. brisby was probably about 5 years old (which is like mid 30s or 40s in mouse years).
shareThat makes a lot of sense, actually. I always wondered that myself, but never put it together that way. Thanks.
sharein the book, Nicodemus isn't that old. he's about middle-aged. same for Mr. Ages. i think they may have made them older for the movie, Nicodemus escpecially, to make them seem wiser and more important that other characters.
"No, sweet lady, you are welcome here." - Justin
In the book it is a minor plot hole. Nicodemus is simply described as older. Mr. Ages is left as a total mystery. Obviously this is mostly for artistic license, since portraying Ages and Nicodemus as older allowed the reader to immediately attach the attributes of wisdom to them well before a lengthy explanation was made available. In the film this plot hole is worsened because of the visual element, though I don't many people bother to ask the question. Like the book, kids tend to think old characters should be wise--so why not make nicodemus look like a million years old!
shareIn the book the possibility that Mr. Ages was born a white mouse is also offered up. If I remember correctly, nobody knew if his white fur was due to age or being born that way, and he never told anyone one way or the other.
shareStraight from Robert O'Brien's book--Mr. Ages and Mrs. Frisby discuss it:
"He would have told you eventually; I know he intended to. Indeed, you would have found it out yourself, you would have seen it happening. But it was hard; he kept putting it off; and then, finally, it was too late."
"Poor Jonathan," said Mrs. Frisby. "He should have told me. I wouldn't have minded."