Good Versus Evil Is A Commonplace Literary Theme Beyond The World Of SGE, And Could Be Likened To Mirror-image

Good versus Evil is a commonplace literary theme beyond the world of SGE, and could be likened to mirror-image symmetry, which is often seen in Soman’s juxtaposed images throughout the series. Yet, I was thinking: is there a literary equivalent for rotational symmetry and what would it look like? I think it would have to involve greater than two elements in play, each a few degrees removed from each other instead of a pair of direct opposites, but I don't have an example of this in practice.

In addition, one of the most prominent instances of juxtaposition in the series to me, by the way, is how the brothers treat their respective Deans, and how Rhian’s reaction is far more passive as he just lets Mayberry go:

And across the bay, there’s this laughable bit:

(I'm sure Rafal is not the only soul who finds it funny. Something about the timing and this being the last line to a section and the well-deserved comeuppance of the moment just read as funny.)

Why do you think Rhian was so clingy to Rafal?.

What's your opinion on Rhian seeing Rafal as this flawless person?.

And what do you think upsets him so badly?.

Me personally there's not enough information for me to think Rhian was born evil, or Rafal truly 'pure' good.

I just don't see it.

Rhian's clinginess could be explained any unknown reason, really. I think the most "accurate" one is that Rafal fulfilled a parent/caretaker/savior role for his brother for so long that Rhian became more and more (overly) attached to and dependent on him over time. And with Rafal, in truth, that burgeoning reliance could've all been by design, meaning we can't wholly fault Rhian.

I don't believe Rhian sees Rafal as a flawless person, even if he may have looked up to him like he did Vulcan-like, villainous men, or considering how he ended up assuming Rafal's identity. While he does struggle with insecurity or feelings of inferiority in the face of Rafal's questionably "better" points of "superiority," Rhian also has exhibited arrogance due to having the moral high ground (in Rise) and has, at times, viewed himself as the superior brother as well. Rhian has also directly criticized Rafal at certain moments, so I think his somewhat recurrent comments, like whenever he thinks about the nature of Evil or corruption in Rise, would suggest the opposite of viewing Rafal as flawless. If anything, he's definitely aware Rafal is deeply flawed, but still remains alternately envious and disdainful regardless. It's more than likely that Rhian's (probably initial and later redeveloped in Fall) image of who Rafal is in his mind doesn't quite align with who Rafal is objectively.

I think Rhian was upset by a multitude of factors. Some include the perceived inferiority around Rafal, excessive competition on a larger scale in the environment he could never escape, and being repeatedly hurt by others and taken advantage of, to the point he decided to become his "abusers," some amalgamation of everyone who ever wronged him, to prove them wrong, that he wasn't willing to take anymore ill-treatment.

Yes, I view them as morally-grey. Their actions (and even "impure thoughts") disqualify them from truly being "pure."

Ooo, this is all so PRETTY! Could we see a close-up of the keychain? Also, was the black fur a design choice? It reminds me of the Stymphs' fur/plumage!!

✨️Bottled souls of the twin School Masters✨️

I have no idea how to fix the camera quality, they never focus on the right thing 😭

On that note, some other things of the same topic

Bottled Wish Fish eggs

👇I dunno 😂

I wonder what other potions in SGE could be cool to make?

What do you like to do to prepare for a test/quiz? A final exam??

What I do is highly dependent on the subject, so if you want, you can send in another ask, if you had any specific subject(s) in mind, and I'll respond to that.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think, jointly, prequel Rafal and main series "Rafal" are the only character who ever manages to rival the sheer volume of outfits Sophie has. Tedros and Agatha don't even come close.

Thus, I wanted to ask:

Probably, the first, the man who engendered the conditions for this phrase (or warning to Evers) to be born: Fall Rhian, with the Pirate Captain, Hephaestus, and the Kingdom Council -> "Only the best Evil can disguise as Good."

I mean, when else have we seen the "appearance versus reality" theme predate the moment Rhian started stringing people along and mucking up Rafal's already filthy reputation via word of mouth (as early as Fall, not even the main series with Rafal's face)? "Rabid Bear Rex" and other tales from the prequel time didn't seem to involve the same level of trickery or disguise, I'm assuming?

And we don't know if "Finola the Fairy-Eater" (one of Lady Lesso's favorites, I think) came along later, during another generation, so the trickery and disguise there could've been inspired by Rhian (not that anyone knew the true outcome of the Great War, but the general notion may've been passed down, about Evil being subtle above all else).

EDIT: I misremembered/made a mistake. Some instances of Evil in disguise did predate Rhian and "Finola the Fairy-Eater" was mentioned in Rise. However, Rhian and the Great War did (of course) have had the most impact and most enduring consequences, compared to those smaller tales with lesser billing, which still leaves the possibility open that the Great War and the uncertain end result of who the victor was might've been the event to coin the phrase (if anyone shared August Sader's theory that the Evil brother won, contrary to popular belief).

Also, does anyone remember who first said that line on disguise? Was it Arthur's advice to first-year Tedros? And another question that remains was whether it was told to Arthur by someone else.