Soldier of Arete Answer

Adrian Robert · 10 Jul 2006, 12:51 · from 2006-July.txt.gz

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From: arobert at cogsci.ucsd.edu (Adrian Robert)
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 08:51:09 -0400
Subject: (urth) Soldier of Arete Answer
In-Reply-To: <000001c6a41c$52dafa40$a634290a at bluelnk.net>
References: <000001c6a41c$52dafa40$a634290a at bluelnk.net>
Message-ID: <8628d821184b89ce1e1047528c5666e1 at cogsci.ucsd.edu>

On Jul 10, 2006, at 8:28 AM, Dave Lebling wrote:

>
> Stilskin asked:
>> I remain baffled by what exactly transpires at the end
>> of Arete to throw Latro into his depression.
>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/~vze2tmhh/gwjbj3.html
>
> Jim Jordan's interview with Wolfe (at the above link) answers your 
> question.
> Search for "Sparta."

Well regardless of what Wolfe himself says there about the Spartan 
ceremony being the main antecedent, in real life there is rarely a 
single cause of depression, and the text certainly doesn't require 
Latro to be different.  There are a number of events that despite his 
weakened memory cannot have failed to have a cumulative effect.  The 
loss of Phareta, parting from various friends, the futile 
purposelessness with which he is tossed about by the winds of fate, ... 
  It is a tribute to his strength of spirit (and of the human spirit) 
that he carried on as long as he did.

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