Eneasz Brodsky

Yeah.

Also, I think that this, regardless of what you think of the story, and I do think it's a pretty good one, even though it leaves you very alone in the world.

regardless of what you think of the story or of that core emotion, that core idea about the world, it is one that a lot of us have.

And more importantly, for the purposes of talking about H.P.

Noir, it encapsulates it perfectly.

Like it really gets that emotion across to you.

If you already have that anywhere within you, this just speaks directly to it and is probably one of maybe the best, certainly one of the best expressions of it in art that I've ever seen.

And I think that's the core thing that makes it rat fic.

A lot of people ask, what makes rat fic rat fic?

And I think the idea that it pings on the emotional makeup of what creates a rationalist is an important part of it.

And since this is probably the most important emotional component of being a rationalist, this is why it is considered the core rationalist text.

Yeah, exactly.

Like a large part of the reason you want to know the truth is because you can't trust anyone else and you need to know how the world works in order to interact with it, to be safe in it.

Yes.

Part two, which is parts three and four in William's essay, is that the other big thing that this story is doing is portraying the siege of the soul, as he calls it.

That Harry is stuck in the middle and is the person being fought over and that there are two forces on either side of him that are besieging him to win the battle for his soul.

And one of those forces we already talked about is Quirrell.

Quirrell is, you know, his goal is to befriend Harry and to...

Well, okay.

The way William puts it is he assumes that his goal is to befriend Harry and make him an ally.