CONCEPT
A short story about the rat race we all find ourselves in sometimes. Two characters help each other through a world that seems to demand performance at all costs. The novel explores and criticizes a society that deems worthiness based on one's output and disregards the intrinsic value of life.
Split into two parts, the novel follows two rats (symbols of the "rat race") who take turns encouraging one another. In the first part, one rat is dismayed that they are exhausted and cannot continue working, while the other encourages regeneration, resulting in both rats taking a break together. The second part of the novel sees the second rat distressed because now it is "behind". The first rat now takes it upon themselves to help comfort the second. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that the conversations between the rats were all took place within the mind, and the rats represent each of the hemispheres.
A large part of the concept is restructuring the way we think about ourselves and questioning established patterns of thought. At certain key moments in reframing, the pages in the book are flipped on their head. This forces the reader to alter their approach to reading the novel, compelling them to engage with the book in a manner that goes against their initial instincts. It essentially mandates a tangible shift in the reader's behavior in order for them to proceed. The following video visualizes this aspect.