This chapter's epigraph comes from a famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe, "Where's Your Sh-tty nobility now?" . It's a reference to the fact that some of Edgar's literary heroes have been defeated by the likes of Voltaire, Voltaire's friend, and Edgar himself. In other words, some of the greatest literary critics of the twentieth century were defeated by some of their greatest literary heroes. The poem is about a duel between Edgar and Voltaire, and it's about to happen. The duel is about to begin, and the two men begin to argue about who's the better fighter. Edgar tells his friend that he's not a good enough opponent for him. He's