Katabasis

by R.F. Kuang

She’d been exhausted, yes, but this throbbing soreness—this screaming reminder that she’d pushed her body to the limit, and hadn’t broken; indeed, that she had a body that could do what it did—felt good.

A reminder of how important it is to get out of one’s mind body and to connect with the physical body

“Other students recoiled when Alice revealed who her advisor was, and she observed their fear with an immodest thrill. Though she would never admit it, the idea of working with someone dangerous excited her. Alice had dazzled her way through years of higher education by being a teacher’s pet; by miraculously succeeding where others had failed. She relished the thought that her advisor might be harsh, impatient, even cruel to others—for that made his attentions to her worth all the more. She liked being the exception to the rule. Favoritism was well and fine if she was the favorite.” Such a specific description - great insight for the character to possess.

“Alice, for much of her graduate career, considered Professor Grimes a necessary trial. What didn’t kill you made you stronger—or at least gave you a thicker skin.” Oh, how American of you, Alice. Another detail in Alice’s psyche that rings true for this type of person IRL.

“Alice ignored him. “What do you mean, pass through?” she asked the Shade. “Who passes you? How long does that take?”” Our little undergrad!

““And where did you study, Peter Murdoch?”” Ah, that insidious sexism permeates all the way to Hell.

““That one likes to remind folks that Dartmouth is in the Ivy League.” So many throwaway laugh lines!

“She hated when women in her department complained, as if they hadn’t asked to be there.” That internalized misogyny

“How good it felt when she seemed to abandon her body altogether—when she became fully incorporeal, drifting happily in a universe of ideas.” Another reference to being incorporeal - Alice has been in Hell for her entire existence

I was wondering if we’d ever get to mentioning his name! Thanks, Alice.