"The Borrowers" An Existential & Quantum Analysis

The subject books are a series of 5 novels written in the middle of the twentieth century, ostensibly for children by Mary Norton. The Borrowers are Lilliputian humans who lead a parasitical existence in the nooks & crannies of houses of normal families, living on their leftovers, without being seen by them.

The books deal with the trials & tribulations of these euphemistically named "Borrowers" in dealing with the larger predators like cats & ferrets (life & death problems) & also the exploitative humans, who may imprison & exhibit them for monetary gain. (loss of liberty.)

Here the "Existential" problem, which is a philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence raises its head, as these creatures experience "existential angst" which is a sense of dread, disorientation, confusion or anxiety in the face of an absurd world, which seeks to physically (by predatory animals) & mentally (by exploitative humans) annihilate them if they are unfortunate enough to be "seen."

This danger of being "seen" or observed by others can also be compared with "The Observer Effect" of Quantum Mechanics, which postulates the disturbance of an observed system (in this case, the "Borrowers") by the act of observation itself (by animal predators or human "beans" as they refer to human beings jocularly), the disturbance in this case potentially leading to extinction of their race.