There are various themes throughout H.P. Lovecraft’s writings that are likely to stem from an idealism of intense existentialism. It is almost immediately apparent that he had an extreme realization of where humanity stands in the vast universe. He saw the universe as this sprawling entity with zero regard for mankind. And in this he entertains the idea that we are nothing but primitive apes that are on the edge of sanity, thus we are but one nudge away from insanity. When it comes to his story “Rats in the Walls” this is no different. In this story we see the very truth of human nature hidden right under our nose as we search for answers. We entertain our endless curiosity of the greater unknown, even while we know so little of our own being. It’s through the degradation of Mr.Delapore’s sanity during the story, that we see that the animalistic behavior that we had believed to be long extinct is very well present in all of us, even if it takes some instigation to reveal.

This primitive behavior that Lovecraft believes humans revert to is not caused by the realizations and sights in this narrative alone. There is also a natural hand at play here, Genetics. This can be seen from the intense exposition on Mr.Delapore’s family’s ancestral past and their time spent at the old mansion of Exham Priory. Much of the story explains his family’s history in the opening paragraphs. Even the Priory has roots in ancient history. It is assured that we are aware of its origins and past occupations so that once Mr.Delapore loses his mind, we are able to connect these factors to the tragedy . And with these factors combined we can assume that they represent the foundation of human nature. We can progress and civilize as much as we want, but the foundation of our genes are always there, in the same way that the foundation of Exham Priory is there right next to his family’s history, no matter how much you refurbish it. 

We know that one of Mr. Delapore’s ancestors murdered and cannibalized the residents of Exham Priory sometime before he returned to refurbish it. It can be assumed that this reaction was caused by a strand of his genes that brought out the inner beast once he made the discovery of the Priory’s hidden secrets. When the Exham is explored our protagonist is not alone, yet it is only him who has the cannibalistic reaction to the place. This means that there is a specific variable that resides inside Delapore, and whatever that variable/gene is, it stems from his family tree. We can safely deduct that this is the cause of Mr. Delapore’s ancestral horror committed at the end of the story. While some believe this to be what happened it may not be the full intention of Lovecraft to convey this theme alone. 

Genes may also be taken in a non-literal sense. Rather just an easy way to explain human limitation. As humans in Lovecraft’s eyes we are very limited. There is no conceivable way that we could understand what lies in the darkness. The Priory was a mansion with layers, that at the top was no more than the sanctuary of Delapores ancestors. But once you begin to delve deeper it’s but one layer lower that you have lost all sense of intelligence. That grasp of understanding you thought you had was no more than spec of sand on the beach. This is illustrated in the text with the Priory, it is a family mansion that one would assume he understands completely. It only takes the discovery of what was under the Priory to show how little he knew, or could ever know about the mansion.  We search and stumble our way into the unknown, and once the truth is found, there is no hope for comprehension.

In the hopeless pursuit for understanding, our subconscious can become quite involved without us even knowing. I believe this to have been the reason the dreams played such a large role in showing how no one is safe from their own nature. In his dreams we see a white bearded daemon leading a flock of flabby fungus monsters through the twilit grotto. Then both the daemon and flab monsters are devoured by the rats “Then, as the swineherd paused and nodded over his task, a mighty swarm of rats rained down on the stinking abyss and fell to devouring beasts and man alike” (Lovecraft, 81). This can be reasoned to symbolize how our nature consumes us all regardless of stature and societal position. The bearded daemon can be seen as representing the elder or more powerful people in society, whether it’s a rich politician or a leader of a large group. Those being led could represent the less prosperous of society, the poor and disabled alike. They are fungus like fat beings led by the stronger older daemon and yet both find themselves victims to the rats. Human nature will devour us all the same no matter who we are.

Throughout the story Delapore finds himself disturbed by what seems to be rats in the walls. We know of the history between his ancestors and the building, so when it is revealed that he is the only one who actually hears them (other than the cats), it’s pretty safe to say this comes from his family’s ties to the building. The rats annoy him when he is found alone. He begins to search for them and sets up traps, when he returns to see if they have caught anything he finds the traps set off but with no rats in a single one. This is important because human nature is something that one tends to deny. we lie to ourselves and say we are these supreme beings of a higher intelligence (hence the lack of physical rats). They still influence him though. Further into the depths of the Priory he chases them, All the way until he finds the truth, in the same way his primitive and cannibalistic roots find him. 

Like many of Lovecraft’s writings this is a very grim one. And unfortunately we can see that the meanings found in this one are not too far off from the truth. While seeing the reality of this situation is more a matter of perspective than pure fact, there is no denying humanity’s curse that seems to be engraved into us all. All over the world we see murder and war, even with the good done by us we always seem to fall from grace. Perhaps it’s natural to fight, kill, and leave those less fortunate behind. But if this is true what hope is there of a better world, or even just a meaningful existence. Is there a chance for us to dive into the unknown and come out the other side more intelligent and understanding? Or are we all doomed to succumb to our primal nature and tear each other apart?      
