Capítulo 14: Important Theories 1(THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER, BUT A BREAKDOWN OF THEORIES. CAN SKIP IT)
The witch's lesson to El Ritch revolves around the nature of hope and its relationship to survival, morality, and the natural order. Her statement, "Hope is something that is treacherous, placed on something that is transient," encapsulates a deeply pragmatic, almost nihilistic worldview. It is a rejection of sentimentality and a sharp critique of humanity's tendency to impose meaning, values, or solutions on a world that operates on its own ruthless, impartial terms.
Here's a breakdown of the witch's lesson, please enjoy:
Hope as Treachery
The witch frames hope as a form of self-deception. To hope is to place faith in something uncertain, impermanent, or beyond one's control—like the survival of the bear, the changing of seasons, or the arrival of food. In the witch's view, this attachment to hope is a form of weakness, a distraction from the reality of life's brutal indifference. She sees El Ritch's desire to help as an ego-driven expression of misplaced hope. His intervention might temporarily alleviate suffering, but it will not change the underlying reality: scarcity, predation, and death are inevitable forces in the natural world. The bear, like all creatures, is a product of this harsh system, and her story is not a tragedy but a necessity.
Nature's Indifference
Through the ordeal of the bear, the witch wants El Ritch to see that nature operates on principles of survival, not morality. The bear's act of cannibalism is not born of cruelty or choice but of instinct and necessity. When food is scarce, the mother bear cannot afford the luxury of nurturing her cubs; instead, she consumes them to ensure her own survival. To the witch, this act is neither good nor evil—it simply is. Nature has no bias, no compassion, and no inherent justice. The bear's suffering and its cubs' deaths are not injustices; they are the natural order asserting itself.
El Ritch's horror at the bear's actions stems from his human impulse to anthropomorphize{attribute human characteristics or behavior to (a god, animal, or object).} and moralize the situation. The witch, however, seeks to strip away this illusion, forcing him to confront the raw, amoral mechanisms of survival.
The Danger of Ego and Interference
The witch's refusal to intervene stems from her belief that humans often act out of hubris when they attempt to "fix" the natural world. El Ritch's instinct to help the bear reflects his belief that he has the power to alter its fate—that he can impose order on chaos. The witch challenges this notion, suggesting that such actions are not only futile but potentially harmful. If they were to feed the bear, what happens when their food runs out? The problem would only be delayed, not solved. By intervening, they risk disrupting the delicate balance of the ecosystem and possibly creating new forms of suffering.
The witch's perspective reflects a brutal form of wisdom: sometimes the most compassionate choice is to do nothing, allowing nature to take its course, no matter how cruel it may seem. Her detachment is not born of malice but of acceptance. She sees herself not as a god but as a participant in the same indifferent system that governs all life.
The Treachery of Hope in a Transient World
The key idea the witch seeks to impart is the transient nature of everything—life, seasons, food, and even hope itself. To place one's faith in something so fleeting is, in her eyes, a betrayal of reality. Hope blinds people to the inevitability of change, decay, and death. It creates expectations that the world will conform to their desires, setting them up for disappointment when it does not.
By observing the bear, El Ritch learns that hope is not a force of salvation but a fragile construct. The bear does not hope; it acts. It scavenges, it hunts, and, when necessary, it sacrifices—even its own offspring. The witch suggests that this instinctual, unflinching acceptance of reality is the key to survival.
The Question of Humanity
While the witch's lesson is rooted in the natural world, it also challenges El Ritch to reflect on what it means to be human. Humans are not bound by instinct alone; they have the capacity for empathy, morality, and imagination. These qualities set them apart from animals but also burden them with questions of right and wrong. The witch, however, views these traits as liabilities rather than strengths. She sees them as the source of unnecessary suffering, as they lead people to resist the reality of impermanence and cling to illusions of control or justice.
Yet, by presenting this harsh lesson, the witch forces El Ritch to confront his own values. Will he reject hope and embrace her detached pragmatism, or will he seek a path that balances compassion with acceptance of life's impermanence? The answer to this question will define who El Ritch becomes.
Conclusion: The Witch's Ultimate Lesson
The witch's lesson is not merely about the bear or the natural world—it is about the human condition. She wants El Ritch to see that suffering, death, and impermanence are inescapable aspects of existence. Hope, when placed on fleeting things, becomes a dangerous illusion that blinds people to this truth(stagnation is deceiving). By teaching him to confront this reality without flinching, she aims to prepare him for the harshness of life, stripping away his naïveté and forcing him to find strength not in hope but in understanding and acceptance.
This lesson is not meant to extinguish El Ritch's humanity but to transform it. Whether he accepts or rejects the witch's philosophy, he will be irrevocably changed, his innocence tempered by the cold, hard truths of the world.
This is to say, the philosophy of the witch plays a bigger part in the story. Be sure to read thoroughly.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
DaoistpMEI89
DaoistpMEI89 Elphonse Flint Ritch: El Ritch(I just took out the d in Eldritch. Ah? AH? Get it? Eldritch means- I'll see myself out, sorry for the lame joke.)(′д｀ )…彡…彡
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