Subject: (whorl) Humans vs. inhumi at the end of _Short Sun_

From: Dan Rabin <wolfe-lists at danrabin.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 22:24:06 +0000

The protagonist spends a lot of time treating inhumi as people and 
trying to see their point of view, even to the point of wanting to 
learn about their reproductive habits.  He must be the most 
sympathetic human the inhumi have encountered.  Then Jahlee tries to 
kill Nettle, and Juganu leads a war party against the protagonist, 
who doesn't hesitate to kill them in either case (although he seems 
to have some regret about Jahlee).

I can't figure out whether these incidents represent the inhumi not 
being able to rise above their nature, or whether they are a 
consequence of their close imitation of humans.  Perhaps they imitate 
humans in war as in love?

Was the protagonist just kidding himself?  There are several times 
when he exacts a promise from a companion inhuma/u not to feed on 
members of his party, yet he knows that they *do* have to feed.  I 
don't see how any rapprochement can emerge from the protagonist's 
treatment of the inhumi, and I don't see how the outcome for humans 
necessarily differs from the experience of the Neighbors.

   -- Dan Rabin

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