Gerry Mouse is symbolic of all that is despised in the normal world. A mouse, like an indigent person, is unwanted in our day-to-day life. He is feared and believed to carry disease or harbor bugs. He chews away on our hard-earned, cherished valuables. Gerry Mouse is, thankfully, ignorant of the tainted beliefs that surround him as he views the world through woefully innocent eyes. Still, unlike Big Man, who has learned to numb himself against the slurs thrown by society, Gerry Mouse is confused and hurt by the feelings of sadness, loneliness, and emptiness that haunt him whenever he sees families who are fulfilled. But it is Gerry Mouse who is able to awaken the long-buried heart in Big Man. Through his efforts to help Gerry Mouse find happiness, Big Man mobilizes others like him and is left with a sense of gratitude and peace that can only come from giving.