Life. Death. Purpose. Biology. So much remains a mystery to us, but one question stands out above them all. Who is Rufus, really?
Once upon a time, Rufus was no mystery. He was our lord, our savior, our beacon of hope and stability in a world of turmoil and standardized testing. We basked in his light when we could not see the sun. But nothing good truly lasts. The last thing we thought we could hold onto was ripped away from us by the search for truth. Curiosity killed the bobcat. But curiosity is all we have left to console us. The only thing that could bring us some form of closure after we lost all that was good. From one question’s horrific answer, another question is born. Rufus is not the bobcat he told us he was. So then, who is he? We at the Bunion believe we may have the answer.
‘Twas a regular day, when a seemingly regular article was published. The fateful date was October 6th, 2021. The day that the truth was revealed. In an article titled “Bunion: Back to School Transitions,” a photo of our beloved bobcat Rufus was displayed with him cheerfully holding pom poms. However, that was also the day that changed our lives forever, altering the truth of this world. This unassuming photo was captioned with “Le ta c’est moi.” These four seemingly harmless words contained a multitude (or muwutitude, in the Wuxshwyian vernacular) of meanings. As directly translated by our dear friend Google, it means “your is me.” Beneath the surface lies the truth. Through extensive research, we found a connection between three seemingly unrelated figures: Rufus the Bobcat, Aldous Huxley, and Walt Whitman. This connection will break not only the literary and scientific world but also reality as we know it. We will explain our methodology and grueling thought process below, but please be warned– this truth is not for the weak, it shall ignite the revolution, glorious as it may be, in the wonderful world of Wuxshwy (Whitman + Huxley, in the term’s simplest essence). It is a world where rigorous literary analysis proves that the purest form of love is between transcendentalist poets and science fiction authors from completely different centuries (mysterious, we know: please research further into the tumultuous love affairs of Walt Whitman and Aldous Huxley through this nonfictional account, this absolutely flawless analysis, and this primary source in third person).
If you’ve ever been in a class with us or have observed our lengthy research process, you know (and likely dread) where this is headed. Rufus’s caption is written, its meaning an almost exact translation, on page 82 of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. With clear strokes, Huxley writes, “For I am you and you are I.” The similarities between these two statements are so astounding and bear so much weight it is almost unbelievable. And, where else have we encountered this statement? On page 1 of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” in Leaves of Grass, Whitman pens, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” What does this prove, you ask? As by the transitive property, if both Rufus, Whitman, and Huxley agree that they are, in fact, you, then that means that Rufus = Whitman = Huxley = you. This ascertains the fact, hopefully already drilled into your head, that Rufus is actually Walt Whitman. Nevertheless, as is with all things Whitmanian, that is obviously not the only interpretation, as there are muwutitudes upon muwutitudes. Regardless, the ones that transcend above all else are that we can all become one with Rufus if we strive to do so, and that Walt Whitman is clearly involved in something with Aldous Huxley. Although this information might be shocking for some, this really shouldn’t; instead, this revolutionary philosophy ought to be in every written Constitution, in the books of every Civil Body Politick, and in all laws governing a body, since this truly encompasses the foundation of this world.
Rufus was already one of BISV’s most revered icons, but now we see that his glory, his everlasting greatness extends to the world of literature as well. We are so, so blessed to be in his presence.
And so another groundbreaking discovery is made, another answer to the universe’s most essential questions. Something to appease our curiosity, if only for a moment. Of all the world’s unknowns, now there is one fewer. Rufus’s identity is a mystery no more.
DISCLAIMER: Although this may be in the satire section of the Quill, believe us when we say that this is in no way satirical. Everything written in this article is fact – pure, unironic fact. IRL canon, if you will. The writers of this article regard every single word written here as truth, and you should too.
