There's a sort of consistent perception that I get whenever reading an HPL story that refers in any way to Miskatonic University. I think that it's more than just a passing reference to a specific place in an imaginary NE city--I feel pretty sure that all/most EDers feel the same about this observation.

It is a symbol of scientific/rational mankind, and represents the high water mark of mankind's rational and intellectual enlightenment and hence stands in direct opposition to the supernatural or ultramundane elements that are the centerpieces of HPL's This establishes a clear cosmos in which there is the Great Good of rational enlightenment, against the ever-present encroachment of entropy and chaos.

So I get the distinct feeling that MU, and any professor or even student, is the very best that mankind can offer and therefore when, as in Mountains of Madness, an expedition from MU goes awry it amplifies the nature of the threat.

In some sense MU is an institution--a recognizable "brand"--and is related to Hogwart's in the Potter series. But MU carries a much heavier load for HPL's stories--it is the best of mankind as it pokes into the void whereas Hogwart's is a sort of a club like The White Hart or the club that Jorkens belongs to.

Thoughts/opinions/comparisons are welcomed as always.

--Sawfish

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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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Well said. I have nothing to add regarding MU's function.

New England is exceptional for its universities, isn't it? Or at least it was, before pc madness started creeping in. And I believe The New England Journal of Medicine is the most advanced publication of its kind in the World.