Memorare

James B. Jordan · 05 Apr 2007, 15:49 · from 2007-April.txt.gz

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From: jbjordan4 at cox.net (James B. Jordan)
Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:49:42 -0500
Subject: (urth) Memorare
In-Reply-To: <002901c7773c$27185e40$54ca5a42 at rclackey.stic.net>
References: <002901c7773c$27185e40$54ca5a42 at rclackey.stic.net>
Message-ID: <20070405154935.PHFC10053.eastrmmtao106.cox.net at eastrmimpo02.cox.net>

At 11:37 PM 4/4/2007, Roy wrote:

>James B. Jordan wrote:
> >I was struck by the fact that Wolfe makes himself the godplaying dead
> >man. It would be easy to have the statue be that of "Richard Nixon"
> >or "Hitler" or someone else, but Wolfe takes upon himself the role of
> >god-playing tyrant. He seems to be saying that he's as potentially
> >evil as anyone else. Salvation is only by grace, as the prayers and
> >title indicate.
>
>Seeing the statue of the "Founder" in a fake paradise as representing Wolfe
>has an obvious appeal, but  . . . what about the larger part of the story,
>the relationships among the four main characters? The memorials aren't built
>by those they honor; they are built by the dead person's
>relatives/followers. If Wolfe is the honored dead, who built the memorial --
>and why?

         Is it always the case that memorials are built by others? 
I'll have to reread this soon -- wanted to let it sit for a couple of 
weeks first. But if so, then Wolfe is saying something about how a 
man's work is often perverted by his disciples.


>The fake paradise is shown to be foul and diseased by the neutral eye of the
>camera. Only the glamour cast over the people who go there, the rose-colored
>view, permits them to see that world as much better than it really is. If
>Wolfe sees himself as the giant bronze lord of such a sorry realm, what is
>he saying about his legacy? More to the point; what is he saying about you
>and me and the rest of the faithful readers of his fantasies?

         Given some of the weird misreadings that Wolfe has received, 
maybe he IS saying something about "us." :-( Or about some of us anyway.


>March thought that the statue of the Founder looked like his father. Penny
>(Robin) thought it looked like her grandfather. If Wolfe was the Founder,
>who are March and Sue/Robin/Penny?

         Assuming Wolfe as Founder (which I've assumed, though of 
course that's debatable I guess), then they are either characters or 
else descendants analogous to the Numbered folk in *5th Head.*  Or 
possibly readers.
         BTW:
                 Sue, from Susan - Susannah = Hebrew lily vegetable
                 Robin = bird animal
                 Penny = mineral
Something's going on there. I can see Penny as the name she has in a 
realm ruled over by a metal man. Susannah was falsely accused of 
adultery and defended by Daniel -- I gather Sue was really guilty, 
she wanted reconciliation.
         FWIW.

Nutria


>-Roy
>
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James B. Jordan
Director, Biblical Horizons
Box 1096
Niceville, FL 32588
http://www.biblicalhorizons.com 
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