{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/4719",
    "note": "Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright in each message remains with the person who wrote it.  Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact.",
    "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'"
  },
  "archive": "urth",
  "thread": {
    "id": 4719,
    "subject": "Close Reading: Torturer Chapter 1",
    "messages": 4,
    "voices": 4,
    "first": "2006-09-08T04:51:41+00:00",
    "last": "2006-09-09T04:02:32+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<19ee41770609072151x62a1ee8dr9b381f179dff3cbf@mail.gmail.com>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Jack Redelfs",
        "address": "jackredelfs at gmail.com"
      },
      "date": "2006-09-08T04:51:41+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Close Reading: Torturer Chapter 1",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "I can't help but wonder why Severian was called in to assist with the\nRevolutionary given his pre-existing relationship with Thecla, which even\nwere it\nnot intimate was certainly close enough to create a clear conflict of\ninterest in\nthe client/torturer relationship"
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "The masters well knew about Severian's relationship with Thecla, in general\nif not in detail. I think they required him to torture Thecla to, shall we\nsay \"break him,\" or disillusion him of ever becoming close to a client\nagain. I don't think they could of foreseen that he would have slipped her a\nkitchen knife, as indeed Severian seemed surprised himself. I think the\nmasters trusted that in the end Severian's loyalty to the guild would win\nover whatever inner conflict he felt. He was indeed loyal to the guild — it\nwas the only home or family he had ever known."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<200609081551.43776.ddjones@riddlemaster.org>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Daniel D Jones",
        "address": "ddjones at riddlemaster.org"
      },
      "date": "2006-09-08T19:51:43+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Close Reading: Torturer Chapter 1",
      "in_reply_to": "<19ee41770609072151x62a1ee8dr9b381f179dff3cbf@mail.gmail.com>",
      "reply_link": "header",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 2,
          "text": "On Friday 08 September 2006 00:51, Jack Redelfs wrote:\nI can't help but wonder why Severian was called in to assist with the\nRevolutionary given his pre-existing relationship with Thecla, which even"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "were it\n\n >not intimate was certainly close enough to create a clear conflict of\n\ninterest in"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 2,
          "text": "the client/torturer relationship"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "The masters well knew about Severian's relationship with Thecla, in general\nif not in detail. I think they required him to torture Thecla to, shall we\nsay \"break him,\" or disillusion him of ever becoming close to a client\nagain. I don't think they could of foreseen that he would have slipped her\na kitchen knife, as indeed Severian seemed surprised himself. I think the\nmasters trusted that in the end Severian's loyalty to the guild would win\nover whatever inner conflict he felt. He was indeed loyal to the guild — it\nwas the only home or family he had ever known."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Or perhaps it was a test to SEE if his loyalty to the guild would hold.  If he \ngot through this, he could be trusted with anything.  If not, then he \nobviously wasn't cut out for a life in the guild, and the guild found this \nout early rather than late."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<Pine.LNX.4.58.0609090732420.29447@orpheus.qimr.edu.au>",
      "from": {
        "name": "David Duffy",
        "address": "david.duffy at qimr.edu.au"
      },
      "date": "2006-09-08T21:45:53+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth)  Close Reading: Torturer Chapter 1",
      "in_reply_to": "<200609081551.43776.ddjones@riddlemaster.org>",
      "reply_link": "header",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Not actually in Chapter 1, and previously discussed on the list -- the\nepigram.  Severian is the watchman holding the shortest watch?\n\nThe pistol as a theme or symbol: something so precious, uncommon and\ncompletely destructive.  (Later, bringing in VanVogtian descriptions of\nravening energies ;))  Giving a pistol to another to care for the woman\nyou love.\n\nDavid Duffy."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<20060909040232.9621.qmail@web82103.mail.mud.yahoo.com>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Chris Mulder",
        "address": "chris_mulder at sbcglobal.net"
      },
      "date": "2006-09-09T04:02:32+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Close Reading: Torturer Chapter 1",
      "in_reply_to": "<200609081551.43776.ddjones@riddlemaster.org>",
      "reply_link": "header",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Daniel D Jones <ddjones at riddlemaster.org> wrote:    \nOr perhaps it was a test to SEE if his loyalty to the guild would hold. If he \ngot through this, he could be trusted with anything. If not, then he \nobviously wasn't cut out for a life in the guild, and the guild found this \nout early rather than late.\n   \n  I agree with Jones' analysis.  Thecla was a test for Severian, which he failed.\n   \n  cm"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}