# Cutthroat "identity" from "TRACKING SONG" *The Urth list — 4 messages, 4 voices, 20 Apr 2010* > 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. --- ### sean ako *20 Apr 2010, 16:53* Urthers; I believe the identity of Cutthroat is tied to his actions among the various "tribes" of beast/humans. For example, he compulsively records his daily adventures along with his ethnological observations. He maintains a log organized by day/number; and he consistently joins and talks with other groups/tribes to find out information, much of it of little practical use (but interesting from an anthropological view.)? I believe Cutthroat is an anthropologist; a scientist studying the biologically engineered beast/humans of the planet. Is it more than coincidental that he happens to fall off the Great Sleigh with a tape recorder, shaver, pocketknife and firestarter? Sounds more like he's ready to do fieldwork. As to his amnesia, who can say that it isn't their protocol for any fieldwork that they do (to encourage objective and honest observations/actions.) Of course, the Great Sleigh didn't "lose" him as many readers (and even characters in the story) assert. It is just their way; consider the way they listen in on his recordings (a handy way of keeping a handle on his situation.) Another thing to consider is that GW has an affiinity with these "scientist" types; consider the two anthopologists in "THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER" in the Jungle Garden (with Isangoma) or the astronaut/scientists in "ALIEN STONES."? They "immerse" then "observe," "absorb," and "report."? All three of these examples above do this in one way or another (or literally.) Sean Ako --- ### Tony Ellis *20 Apr 2010, 19:58 · follows sean ako* > Sean Ako wrote: > I believe Cutthroat is an anthropologist; a scientist studying the biologically engineered beast/humans of the > planet. Is it more than coincidental that he happens to fall off the Great Sleigh with a tape recorder, shaver, > pocketknife and firestarter? Sounds more like he's ready to do fieldwork. As to his amnesia, who can say > that it isn't their protocol for any fieldwork that they do (to encourage objective and honest observations/actions.) Yes, I suggested much the same thing a while back: http://lists.urth.net/pipermail/urth-urth.net/2007-June/007862.html It's occurred to me since then that The Lost Pilgrim, collected in Innocents Aboard, has a similar premise: an amnesiac scholar, thrust into an alien and barbarous world. It certainly wouldn't be the first time Wolfe revisited an old idea. --- ### David Stockhoff *20 Apr 2010, 20:55 · follows Tony Ellis* Sean You raise an interesting possibility: that "amnesia" is merely an advanced anthropological method, easily "learned," that relieves the observer of (at least the more conscious) prejudices. That would provide one explanation for Cutthroat, if nothing else. And we all know how Wolfe likes to play with memory/amnesia---he probably has a list of all possible variations on the theme, and induced, voluntary, temporary amnesia is bound to be on it. Perhaps the technique includes something like temporary decapitation---why not?---and that would explain about the only other thing we know about Cutthroat. That, or some surgically implanted translating/speaking device. > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:53:22 -0700 (PDT) > From: sean ako > To: urth at lists.urth.net > Subject: (urth) Cutthroat "identity" from "TRACKING SONG" > Message-ID: <548455.62735.qm at web56602.mail.re3.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > > Urthers; > > I believe the identity of Cutthroat is tied to his actions among the various "tribes" of beast/humans. > For example, he compulsively records his daily adventures along with his ethnological observations. > He maintains a log organized by day/number; and he consistently joins and talks with other groups/tribes > to find out information, much of it of little practical use (but interesting from an anthropological view.)? I > believe Cutthroat is an anthropologist; a scientist studying the biologically engineered beast/humans of the > planet. Is it more than coincidental that he happens to fall off the Great Sleigh with a tape recorder, shaver, > pocketknife and firestarter? Sounds more like he's ready to do fieldwork. As to his amnesia, who can say > that it isn't their protocol for any fieldwork that they do (to encourage objective and honest observations/actions.) > Of course, the Great Sleigh didn't "lose" him as many readers (and even characters in the story) assert. It is just > their way; consider the way they listen in on his recordings (a handy way of keeping a handle on his situation.) > Another thing to consider is that GW has an affiinity with these "scientist" types; consider the two anthopologists > in "THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER" in the Jungle Garden (with Isangoma) or the astronaut/scientists in > "ALIEN STONES."? They "immerse" then "observe," "absorb," and "report."? All three of these examples above > do this in one way or another (or literally.) > > Sean Ako --- ### Jeff Wilson *21 Apr 2010, 07:13 · in reply to Tony Ellis* > On 4/20/2010 2:58 PM, Tony Ellis wrote: > Sean Ako wrote: >> I believe Cutthroat is an anthropologist; a scientist studying the biologically engineered beast/humans of the >> planet. Is it more than coincidental that he happens to fall off the Great Sleigh with a tape recorder, shaver, >> pocketknife and firestarter? Sounds more like he's ready to do fieldwork. As to his amnesia, who can say >> that it isn't their protocol for any fieldwork that they do (to encourage objective and honest observations/actions.) > Yes, I suggested much the same thing a while back: > http://lists.urth.net/pipermail/urth-urth.net/2007-June/007862.html > > It's occurred to me since then that The Lost Pilgrim, collected in > Innocents Aboard, has a similar premise: an amnesiac scholar, thrust > into an alien and barbarous world. It certainly wouldn't be the first > time Wolfe revisited an old idea. I suppose this could lead back to John V. Marsch, though he presumably became a scholar only after losing his memory. ``` Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com IEEE Student Chapter Blog at < http://ieeetamut.org > ``` ---