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On Thu, 26 Sep 2002, Roy C. Lackey wrote:
There was, in effect, no relationship between Jonas and Jolenta outside of Jonas's head. There was no basis in their common history for even a Platonic relationship, none at all. Jonas, illogical as it may be for an android, lusted after Jolenta just as Sev and every other man who saw her did, and that's all it was. Lust, not Love.
Well argued. I think you're almost certainly right.
But it is possible (although the text doesn't do much to support it) that Jolenta is not, for Jonas, a Siren but rather Dulcinea. That, rather than being in lust for Jolenta, he is in love with his own fantasy, his ideal woman. The fantasy may have been sparked by Jolenta and given her name because of lust, but Jonas may be unaware of that. He may continue to see himself as a robot with some icky spare parts, and may imagine himself returning from the unreachable star all fixed up, ready to love Jolenta purely and chastely, if not from afar.
-Rostrum