The argument for Intractability

Son of Witz · 24 Dec 2008, 18:28 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org (Son of Witz)
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:28:28 +0000
Subject: (urth) The argument for Intractability
Message-ID: <W4292126728311431230143308@webmail37>

>Jeff Wilson writes:
> There's a problem in that deities by definition transcend the physical
world, but Sev's first-person narrative remains largely linear and
divided from that of "other Severians" from which he is separated in
space and time, both Urthly and Yesodi time.
>>A certain amount of this 
>>separation has to be in order for his mortal incarnations to be valid, 
>>but there's no enduring union of mortal and divine identities, just a 
>>few short flashes of insight of the former into the nature of the 
>>latter.  This doesn't make Severian a deity any more than a really good 
>>reception at Karaoke makes me Elvis, just someone who for a moment can 
>>experience a tiny piece of Elvishood.
> 
>Does this perhaps depend on your definition of a deity? Was/is Jesus a deity?
>Seems to me he had flashes of it, e.g.predicting his own death. But he had
>mostly human moments, growing up, eating, socializing, getting angry at the 
>money changers and at the end wondering why his Father had forsaken him.
> 
>Deity or not, I've felt Severian is meant to be the Urth analog of Earth's 
>Jesus.  He is darker, more sinful, not as bright as Jesus..but the same might
>be said comparing all of Urth to Earth.
> 
>-bsharp
>_________________________________________________________________

I'm with you bsharp.
I don't really follow your reasoning Jeff.
How do you account for his consciousness residing in a star?
or the power of a freaking star raising the dead, healing tumors, etc, etc.
There is no rational explanation for that, based on science and logic, that I can imagine explaining that.  anyone?
It seems a completely obvious metaphor. Severian's body is a puppet, and his consciousness is a "heavenly body"

I don't understand this line "Sev's first-person narrative remains largely linear and divided from that of "other Severians" from which he is separated in space and time"
I suppose you mean Apu Punchau.  That's the only instance where there are two conscious Severians.  both are eidolons.  There can be multiple instances of the same eidolon. Mold and molded.

~witz

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