Valeria

b sharp · 18 Jul 2008, 03:29 · from 2008-July.txt.gz

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From: bsharporflat at hotmail.com (b sharp)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:29:38 -0400
Subject: (urth) Valeria
Message-ID: <BAY103-W147ABF3D5F3B3DEF346DE4D7890 at phx.gbl>

As with the end of CotA, the end of UotNS is rather densely packed with explanations.
I just noticed a passage I hadn't ever noticed before (perhaps Roy will know if it was
discussed before):

Severian has discovered he is an eidolon and says:  
>"I felt as real as I ever have; and when I searched among my memories, I found 
>Valeria there still, and Thecla and old Autarch, and the boy Severian (who had been
>Severian only).

Valeria, with her home in the tower near the Atrium of Time is a pretty mysterious 
character. Some have guessed she is Severian's mother, daughter, sister. But why is
she included in the select company of those who have been grafted onto Severian's 
memory, chemically?

Racking my brain for the past day or two produced only two weak answers:

1. The assassin's blade had an alzabo extract on it and when it pierced Valeria, then
Severian's chest, her memories were implanted.

2. Valeria symbolizes Wolfe's wife and he wanted to honor her and their long marriage  
(though his avatar Severian) by including her, in literary form, as a permanent part of
Severian's memory. (I suspect Thecla and old Autarch also represent important people
in Gene Wolfe's life).

But I'm hoping someone can come up with explanations better than these :-).

-bsharp 

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