My previous reblog started with āI regret to inform you that Iām once again thinking about Enver Gortashā and letās be real Iām tempted to start every goddamn post like that bc if that doesnāt sum it up I donāt know what does.
Itās 3am and all I can think about is the fact that Gortash used to do some psychological torture experiments about how far parents would go for their kids. And that iirc in all his tests, parents would even die for their kids. And that he kept saying that he needed to experiment further.
Just. Thinking about this man who basically has the whole city - and soon even more - in his hand, whoās the chosen of a good, whoās controlling an elder brainā¦. And yet he cannot comprehend why his parents did what they did.
It makes no sense to him so he looks for sense in science, for some justification but there is none. And that canāt be right - surely there are more people like his parents, surely there was a reason for this. But there wasnāt and he canāt accept it.
Look I love my unhinged insane horrible raccoon man. But I think of things like this, or of the way his parents talk about him, and I want to shake them until they realise what theyāve done.
Poor kid didnāt need a god. He needed therapy.
Iām sure there are endless discussions about whether he was already disturbed as a kid or if hell made him so, but Iām of the firm belief that no one is born evil. And here I am lying awake thinking about how different his life could have been if he hadnāt been literally hated and condemned as a *child* by his own parents.
Itās criminal how little screen time Gort gets in the game - as weāve all said - but I love how many secrets and hints to his backstory and mindset are still found throughout the game (if they havenāt been patched out at least..).
Like this one, because - why would he waste his valuable time on these experiments? Once he controls all of them via elder brain, they wonāt think for themselves and therefore, that research would be useless. And sure maybe he did it to find out how best to break people, to get them out of his way, but it read to me like his experiments werenāt finished. Like they were still ongoing.
Which also to a lesser extent brings me back to the whole hiding bombs in childrenās toys. Why? Because itās comically evil? Because it conveys to the player āthis man is moral less and unsave-able!ā? Or because maybe, he never had anything, he never got any help, so why should they? Maybe because he has severe unresolved childhood trauma and feels the need to destroy their illusion of happiness too and thoroughly ruin their lives. Maybe Iām reading too much into it.
But itās always the sum of the things isnāt it?
I also find it interesting that he keeps his parents locked up. He could have them out on the streets, singing his praises - but he doesnāt. The player only learns about them if you happen to stumble into a little shop. So yes, making them praise him? Thatās only for him.
To conclude this - I like to think that the reason you canāt bring any of this up to him is because it would force him to react. Because I think under all his bravado and uncaring attitude, this is the one thing he could never conquer. He hates that of course, heād try to play it down, but I genuinely think that his parents are his weakness. Not in the sense of āhe has trauma from being sent to the hellsā - he has but he obviously made it part of his personality, look at him, his whole attitude screams āraised by Raphaelā. Not even in the sense that heās desperate for parental love - he might be, but I think itās a bit more complex.
Itās because no matter how much he looks he canāt logically explain what happened to him. He canāt even recreate it. Unless *he* is the problem. And he canāt believe that can he?
Even if he could accept that - make it part of his dark little soul - that once again shines such an interesting light on the fact that his whole persona and strategy is āmake people love himā.
And because I canāt end a post without bringing in Durgetash (even platonically): I bet tall these issues came up again through meeting Durge. Bc Durge was horrible BECAUSE they were ālovedā by their father. And Durge - whether romantically or platonically - respected and liked Gortash. Maybe even loved him for who he was.
And all of a sudden his neat little explanation of being born utterly unlovable and therefore destined to greatness because he isnāt burdened by love shatters into a thousand little pieces.
Here he is back again, not understanding but needing to know - therefore, experiments. Therefore his utter support no matter if Durge stays with Bhaal or not. Therefore, bombs in childrenās toys.
Therefore, Iām lying awake at 3am, wondering what would have been if his parents were better people and believed in nurture vs nature. And about how in the end, he died still not knowing.
