KA Byrnes – Page 3 – Enneagram and Encaustic

Rackham’s Trial

I meet with Fig as soon as he returns from the Ministry. He wants to go right away to see the room I discovered under Hogwarts.

In the empty Map Chamber, Fig places the book on the pedestal. The entire floor becomes a glowing map of the surrounding countryside and landmarks. For a moment Fig is sad that Miriam isn’t here to see it.

After introductions between Fig and Rackham in his portrait, Rackham explains that the map will highlight four areas indicating four trials I must pass. The Keepers want to make sure that their knowledge doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This will take time, Rackham says, but Fig respectfully interrupts. Ranrok wields a powerful dark magic. Rackham becomes alarmed when he learns Ranrok was in his Gringotts’ vault. The first trial will proceed immediately. Fig recognizes the spot on the map; we’ll meet there. He can help me find the location, but he can’t follow me into the trial.

(Up until now I’ve only been pursuing main mission quests and avoiding side quests. The game won’t let me proceed until I gain another level! I wondered if I’d come up against a hard check of some kind.)

Sad Cart

I apologize for the lack of encaustic content lately.

My cart, although small-ish and portable, is in a lost corner of the property right now, waiting for a new location. I’m looking for reliable power (the heat gun combined with the griddle that melts the wax are a strong draw) and proper ventilation.

I have all kinds of ideas and can’t wait to get back to work. Please bear with me.

TAHANI AL-JIMAL, TWO

Tahani’s defining characteristic is Envy, which makes her a Heart Type. After that, discerning whether she’s a Two, Three, or Four becomes difficult. She has traits that fit into any of those Enneagram numbers.

The interesting choice is a Two. Her impulse toward charity work is genuine, even though it begins as a way to prove to her parents that she’s just as worthy of love as her sister.

She’s very successful at raising money for a cause, which could make her a Three. She’s also very emotionally connected, a Four possibility.

Ah, but she considers the morale of the neighborhood to be her responsibility. This is a Two. A Four would take more personal time. A Two won’t rest if they think they can help others. Also, that self-sacrifice convinces Tahani that she’s a good person. A Two, one of the most giving numbers of the Enneagram, can avoid introspection if their work is deemed to be important. Her own motivations, something she will eventually need to examine in the Good Place, are constantly set aside so she can uplift the community.

JASON MENDOZA, NINE

He runs a dance troupe. This is definitely a Body Type.

We know he is no Head Type; analyzing the world is not his forte, lol. And he can’t be a Heart Type because he has no Envy. He likes revenge, but that’s something different.

I have a hard time thinking of him as a One because he has no financial acumen. He has the zippy physicality of a One, and he’s funny in his own way, but it doesn’t feel right to call him a One.

He’s a Nine. Unhappy or unfulfilled Nines can create chaos. They don’t want to — avoiding conflict is still a core Nine trait — but in their search for satisfaction they churn trouble. If anyone is a lightning rod for catastrophe, especially on Earth, it’s Jason.

For humor, Jason’s written as a cheerful idiot. Finding an Enneagram can be difficult when a character is almost a stereotype, but the showrunners and actor give Jason a rounded personality. A Nine’s sense of justice shines through.

Flying Class

Finally! One of the best parts of this whole game is riding around on a broom. The mechanics are smooth and very fun. Hogsmeade is off limits, but the rest of the open world and even sections of Hogwarts are broom-friendly. Although many locations on the map have the fast travel of Floo Flames, it can be fun just to fly places anyway.

Madam Kogawa is the flight instructor (and a very disappointed quidditch teacher since Headmaster Black ruled the game wouldn’t be played this year). We mount our school brooms — astride; “none of that side-saddle nonsense” — and start flying through large rings and around the grounds.

Discovering the Map Chamber

I return to Fig’s office to show him the book I found under Hogwarts. He notices the missing pages from the center of the book. He’ll need to examine the contents, hoping for a clue. Meanwhile, though, Headmaster Black has insisted that Fig go to the Ministry and explain Osric’s death. He’ll take the book with him.

(The quest for the book’s missing pages is the only one that varies based on your house. The replayability of this game is high because we all want to see the different house common rooms. Unless you’re a Ravenclaw, as I am in this playthrough, you won’t see the Ravenclaw common room. The way the game leads you into this quest is particular to your house, which is really fun.)

As a Ravenclaw, I’m called to visit Mr. Ollivander in Hogsmeade. A student named Richard Jackdaw stole a treasured family wand years ago. After solving Jackdaw’s puzzle, I find his ghost at the Owlery. The pages I want are of a map that Jackdaw stole from Peeves. Following the map led to Jackdaw’s demise.

(Sorry, Ravenclaw, but your common room is boring.)

JANET, NULL

Janet is a robot. I’m not sure she can have an Enneagram. It takes us a while to learn that she grows and changes with every reboot. The love she finds in one iteration carries over to future versions of Janet. That suggests that she will indeed have a personality type. Her character arcs.

However, what Type does she fall into? She doesn’t fit any of the general categories of Head, Heart, or Body. I refuse to count her computer brain as a Head Type reaction. Her willingness to pop in and help anyone in the community is not a Heart Type reaction; it’s her programming.

Characters who end up a Null because they were badly written do happen. However, characters who are purposely written as a Null — I discuss Bishop from Aliens as a deliberate Null in my book — are interesting. It’s harder than it sounds to write someone who fits no Enneagram.

Was this the right choice for Janet? The first android in Alien, Ash, is not a Null. A robot is not automatically devoid of a personality type. Janet is a wonderful character, beautifully portrayed. I wonder, though, if an Enneagram might have opened up possibilities in the later seasons when the show isn’t as sharp as it is in One and Two. A Body Type, especially for a robot that needs no physical expression to do her job, could’ve been intriguing.

ELEANOR SHELLSTROP, THREE

Eleanor, dominated by Envy, must be a Heart Type. Our early impression of Eleanor is that she’s selfish; it seems she will always use other people. However, her innate desire to connect with her neighbors leads her beyond her uglier personality traits.

I feel certain Eleanor is no Two, lol. Do we go with Four or Three? On Earth, Eleanor was an accomplished jerk. That’s not how I think of a Three — their successes are usually admirable — but I won’t rule out that Enneagram. Dark Threes make good villains. It’s possible that Eleanor taps into and subverts this quality by becoming our protagonist.

Also, because of her vivacity, Eleanor could be a Four. Her emotions don’t fluctuate between high and low, but she brings a constant energy that other Enneagram numbers wouldn’t be able to sustain.

Whoa, this is a tough one.

I’m going to say Three because of Chidi. He’s so clearly a Six, a Three’s strength number. In every iteration of the Good Place, Chidi persuades Eleanor to be a better person. He models a moral personality that Eleanor has never considered. I don’t think Chidi would succeed as often if she were a Four.

CHIDI ANAGONYE, SIX

I mean, right? No questions, no doubt. Chidi must be a Six.

He approaches the world as a Head Type: solutions will be found by thinking and analyzing. He constantly worries, which is a distinctive Six trait when it becomes persistent. He weighs everything from a black vs. white perspective, with no room for gray.

Although he’s morally resolute, he will go to battle for his friends. Chidi’s Sixness, the conflict within him when faced with the Good Place, is what makes him such a great character. Should he help Eleanor, who’s (unwittingly at first) breaking the rules? Once he’s decided on his choice, he won’t quit. The writing, the directing, and the acting have all nailed a beautiful portrayal of a Six.

I just wish his wardrobe displayed more eccentricity. Men Sixes have a strange sense of fashion, no matter how sophisticated their profession. The tweed-and-turtleneck makes for a great joke, but his pants should’ve clashed. Heh.

Tahani Al-Jimal

ONE

Wearing a turtleneck and a tweed jacket (lol) Chidi teaches Eleanor from the blackboard.

However, she’s more focused on the “You don’t belong here” note tucked in her binder.

Chidi notices and calls her on it. As they argue, a knock at the door sends them scurrying to flip the chalkboard and hide the books.

TWO

It’s Tahani with a flowering houseplant. After she leaves, Eleanor puts on a posh British accent and mocks her. Chidi’s confused that a neighborly visit gets Eleanor so worked up.

“I’m supposed to treat her with mutual respect?” Eleanor accuses. “That’s exactly what she wants!”

After an amused pause, Chidi responds, “Er . . . that’s what everyone wants.”

Roll credits.