Rat = Boku?

 Hello Class,

The last several chapters made me think a lot about the eerie similarity between Boku and the Rat. The first introduction of the Rat seemed odd because he is never given a name, just like our main character Boku. Then during his conversation with the Rat's woman friend only she seems to know his name but never says it. This lack of a name and Boku's further detatchment from reality blurs the line between what is real and what isn't. So when we never get to meet the Rat other than in the moment he is revealed to have commited suicide, it seems a little suspicious to me, almost as if the Rat exists more as a mirrored extension of Boku than as a fully independent character. 

Additionally, they are said to be extremely similar (almost Identical) in looks but have oposing personalities. The Rat doesn't smoke, while Boku does constantly. The Rat has a decisive mission to kill the sheep while Boku reluctantly seems to do anything important surrounding the sheep. Ultimitely, their goals not only intersect but reach the same end with the death of the sheep and also the death of the secretary (who wanted to take over with the sheep). The Rat allows the sheep to enter him and then sacrifices himself to destroy it. While Boku kills the would-be successor in a quiet, almost detached moment that feels less like triumph and more like completion. In this way, their paths feel parallel but also the same. Let me know what you all think about the weird connection between Boku and the Rat!

Raul J Valles III