Evil is a cancerous force. In H.P. Lovecraft’s story, “The Rats in the Walls”, he tells the story of Delapore, an American man attempting to restore his ancestral English home. However Delapore soon finds himself at the mercy of the malevolent forces that surround his family’s own wicked history. This evil soon reveals itself to Delapore, eroding the man he once was and changing him into something wicked. Lovecraft demonstrates that despite what most individuals believe, evil is not a concrete force, which can be fought, instead evil is a creeping corrupting malevolent force that seeks to influence each and everyone it can.

Throughout his writing, Lovecraft utilizes a plethora of symbols in order to demonstrate the malignancy of evil, chief among them in this work are the rats that infest the de la Poer ancestral home. These malicious little creatures are used to give a physical representation of a slinking evil force that permeates the life of Mr. Delapore. During one of the first nights when the rats disturb his sleep, his cat pulls away the curtains revealing only a wall of stone, “devoid of any trace of rodent prowlers”(81). By never allowing them to actually be seen, Lovecraft instead has the rats take on an almost ethereal presence, constantly lurking in the darkness just out of view instead of being a mere physical threat. Lovecraft hides the rats in order to further his point that evil is not some force that can simply be sought out and eliminated, because the real evil has the potential to come from anyone. Another time when Lovecraft uses the rats to represent the nefarious nature of man is when Delapore blames his heinous actions on the rats who, “beckon [Delapore] down to greater horrors”(89). Once again the rats are used to represent nefarious influences on humanity as a whole that seeks to corrupt and defile in order to further itself. This evil is not some external threat that can be outright beaten but instead is a malignant force that constantly tempts humanity to surrender itself. Lovecraft excellently demonstrates this malicious nature of evil through the daemonic rats that lurk in the walls.

Yet another excellent symbol that Lovecraft utilizes in his story are Delapore’s cats. These cats are used to contrast Delapore in that they attempt to actively warn him of the dangers he faces in the priory. Just as the rats are used to represent the ultimate evil that lurks in the priory, the cats exemplify the protecting good that attempts to stave off this malicious force. When the rats first visit Delapore he sees his cat act, “like the inevitable dog in the ghost story, which always growls before his master sees the sheeted figure” (80). By referencing this cliché, Lovecraft draws attention to the protection the cats attempt to offer. This protection ultimately amounts to nothing as the evil is not some corporeal threat, but instead is an ethereal presence attempting to sway individuals to surrender to their inner darkness. Evil is an inevitable force that will eventually overcome all protective measures. When Delapore attempts to enter the grotto, he is met with, “a veritable nightmare of feline yelling and clawing”(83). By prefacing the horror that Delapore is about to face with the actions of the cats, Lovecraft shows that despite the inevitability of failure virtuous forces still attempt to stave off the malicious influences in the world By showing these forces ultimate failure in the face of evil, Lovecraft furthers his overall point that evil is insurmountable. The final moment when the cats exemplify good is when Delapore is discovered, “with [his] own cat leaping and tearing at my throat”(89). This moment, with the cat physically attacking the now cannibalistic Delapore, perfectly portrays the cat as a force of good. Lovecraft demonstrates how the cat at all points attempts to destroy the evil it encounters, even when that evil comes from Delapore himself. Ultimately however the futility of the cat’s attempts is used to demonstrate that despite the efforts of good to prevent this evil from taking hold, the evil within will always find a way out. Overall, the main purpose of the cats in this story to parade the idea of good as it attempts to protect everyone despite the inevitability of its failure.

Throughout the story, Delapore ignores multiple warnings that attempt to spare him the horrors he would face at the priory. Firstly, Lovecraft mentions a secret letter that the Delapore family passes down to their children at the time of their deaths. However, when it comes to the protagonist of this story, he never received the letter as when his grandfather burned to death, he took, “the envelope that bound [them] all to the past” (76), with him. This letter was meant to provide a warning about the evils that the family escaped when they fled to America. However, by destroying this letter, Lovecraft evinces the point that evil can never truly be escaped. No matter how hard people try, evil will always find them, a fact that Delapore must face in all its unholy glory. Secondly, Lovecraft foreshadows the evils that await the protagonist in England by having his son return from there as a “maimed invalid”(76). By crippling Delapore’s son, Lovecraft alludes to the evil surrounding the de la Poer ancestral home. This event also highlights the all-encompassing reach that the malicious forces of this story have. Despite being a heroic soldier, Delapore’s son still suffers the influence of the foul powers that plague the Delapore family. The next warning that Delapore receives comes in the form of villagers’ attitude towards the priory, with them having, “an almost unbelievable fear and hatred of the place”(77). Here, Delapore receives a clear warning of the malignant nature of the priory, however he ultimately dismisses these warnings much to his own misfortune. Lovecraft uses these warnings to show that no matter what warnings people receive, their hubris will always lead them to evil. Despite the numerous warnings that he receives, none of them could protect him from the evil in his own soul.

In addition, Lovecraft excellently displays that the real evil of this story is Delapore himself. During his time at the priory Delapore experiences the presence of evil in the grotto beneath his home, however this evil never actually harms anyone directly. Instead this evil strives to corrupt Delapore and drag him down into its dark embrace. Firstly, The evil reaches Delapore in his sleep where he views, “a white-bearded daemon swineherd drove about with his staff a flock of fungous, flabby beasts”(81). This vivid imagery paints with absolute clarity the depths of the evil that Delapore faces. Lovecraft has this depraved image come forth from the depths of Delapore’s mind to further his argument that the evil that spawned this dream comes from deep within Delapore himself, rather than from some outside entity. This view at the wicked parts of Delapore’s mind shows that the real villain of this story is none other than Delapore himself. The next time when Delapore’s evil nature is revealed is when he is found in the grotto, “over the plump, half-eaten body of Capt. Norris”(89). This moment serves as the climax to the story of Delapore’s descent into evil, with him fully embracing his family’s twisted legacy, and cannibalistic history. He surrenders himself fully to the evil that has been lurking in the deepest part of his mind for so long, and kills the person closest to him. Lovecraft excellently demonstrates the evil within Delapore coming forth and revealing itself in its malicious glory in order to cement his point that true evil only comes from within. 

In today’s society, people tend to take a very simplistic black and white view of evil. This view comes from the frequent portrayal of evil as a physical thing that can be sought out and destroyed. In “The Rats in the Wall”, however Lovecraft shows people the inescapable and horrendous truth. True evil exists within everyone. Through Delapore, Lovecraft demonstrates that real evil exists solely inside the hearts of men.
