Severian's sex Life

Jeff Wilson · 07 Apr 2007, 07:09 · from 2007-April.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2007 02:09:12 -0500
Subject: (urth) Severian's sex Life
In-Reply-To: <77a389ab0704062304x3d68c625hcc279ad8d29582bd at mail.gmail.com>
References: <77a389ab0704062304x3d68c625hcc279ad8d29582bd at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <46174398.2010608 at io.com>

Spencer Hensley wrote:
> Okay, so I have a strange sort of question:
> 
> Why does Severian sleep with nearly every woman he encounters? I 
> considered that it might provide evidence for the subjectivity of the 
> narrative, but it seems to me that there 1) might be other ways to do 
> that and 2) that there must be some further significance.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas? I mean, it may not necessarily reflect the 
> plot or universe Wolfe has created, but just have a sort of generic 
> literary significance. It's something I've been wondering about for a 
> long time, now.

Rather, why does Severian choose, among the thousands of people he must 
have met in the course of the events described in the five volumes, only 
to record the hundred or so appearing in the Book? Are these the ones 
who make the greatest impression on him? Might the first few sex 
partners of his experience stand out among the rest?

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >

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