Subject: (urth) Alien Monsters

From: Nicholas <nickjost at yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:18:40 +0000

I call bull crap. Severian lives most of his adult life following rules and only breaks them under the severest of duress. The first example is his first girlfriend being tortured to death. The second is what the community views as his aunt is ordered executed by strangulation for not loving her psycopathic husband and after Sevs had a blow out with his second girlfriend/mother. Both can be seen as Sevs development of higher loyalties. Despite that he feels bad about both. Can we have Brunians back now? His sort of crazy was at least humorous.

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From: David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:28:29 +0000

I agree. Severian obeys when he can. He's neither a rebel nor an 
automaton; the fact that Vodalus had his sympathies merely means that he 
thinks about morality. What thinking young man wouldn't want to 
overthrow the existing order in that world?

Nor does he follow Vodalus' orders blindly, but only because the alzabo 
made him.

He also lies and rapes, but in situations where he may perhaps be forgiven.

Nicholas wrote:
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From: Jeff Wilson <jwilson at io.com>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:00:18 +0000

On 8/6/2010 11:28 AM, David Stockhoff wrote:
> I agree. Severian obeys when he can.

That's not much of a restriction given Severian's gift of rationalization.

Of course Severian is mostly obedient to the written and unwritten rules 
of his society, but is also keenly aware that the occasions that he 
hasn't obeyed have been rather on the extreme side. Upon his return to 
the throne in URTH he admits that he is a doer of great evil like 
Baldanders as well as a doer of great good, and that most people are 
likewise creatures given to both.

It is probably Severian's adherence to moral if not legal rules that 
enable him to be such a successful rule-breaker, since his acquaintances 
and collaborators have good reason to believe he can be trusted to do 
what evil crime is necessary and then stop. Just make sure he isn't 
required to torture a woman he's had sex with.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >