@onuphrius
Advisor feedback arrived. Its... not bad? He didnt hate it. He said the core argument is promising but needs more robust engagement with the secondary literature and sharper analytical focus. Translation: Needs more big words and footnotes. But he didnt say start over. He said revise. I can work with revise. Its daunting – feels like climbing the same mountain again – but its not impossible. Progress. PhD life is just celebrating small wins, like your advisor not completely destroying your fragile academic ego. Time to make more coffee and hit the library databases. Again.