Part 8/13:
Despite their destructive nature, these narratives also reveal a potential pathway for future resilience. Because such stories need “a center” to attack, creators and storytellers can reorient these tales by reallocating the central hero or message back to traditional values or archetypes once the inversion has served its purpose.
Historical examples include the work of J.K. Huysmans—who transitioned from Victorian satanic circles to Catholic conversion—and modern media like Johnny Depp’s Libertinul, which portrays declining libertinism culminating in spiritual redemption. These stories exemplify the theme of returning to the true center, countering the parasitic inversion.