Sleeping Baldanders

Son of Witz · 30 Dec 2008, 00:00 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org (Son of Witz)
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:00:41 -0800
Subject: (urth) Sleeping Baldanders
In-Reply-To: <3e1fa2e90812291348g1ac89609g60dce32a25568b8d at mail.gmail.com>
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	<8476d0320812291246w49b4e8cbj9a9a5358c529b921 at mail.gmail.com>
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Message-ID: <51490DE3-A28A-498E-8382-303F555397D6 at butcherbaker.org>

,
I had the same thought about striking off heads, then checked the  
book. Severian interprets Baldanders this way.
but as Paul points out Severian is often pretty off base.  I think  
Wolfe does this as misdirection. we get a sort of decent 'explanation'  
for one of the four statements, but if he's referring to his headsman  
role, "You--strike off." would end with a question mark. no?

On Dec 29, 2008, at 1:48 PM, Paul B wrote:

> I haven't kept track or anything, but I'd be willing to entertain  
> the notion that Severian is wrong more than half of the time in his  
> interpretations of events.
> The issue of Baldanders' inconsistent behavior could also be  
> explained (as I explained it to myself) by "incredible hulk"  
> syndrome.  When he gets upset (as when he charged the audience or  
> fought Severian) he flies into a rage, but is analytical otherwise.
>
> Paul
>
>
> On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 3:46 PM, Bruce Hayles  
> <brucehayles at gmail.com> wrote:
> Craig, that was exactly my understanding of it too. I don't have the  
> book with me, but I remember Severian saying something that  
> indicates that that is also his interpretation.
>
>
> On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 2:35 PM, Craig Brewer <cnbrewer at yahoo.com>  
> wrote:
> Not sure about the rest, but I assume that "You -- strike off" has  
> to do with Severian "striking off" peoples' heads.
>
> From: Matt Teel <adeodatus43 at yahoo.com>
>
> To: The Urth Mailing List <urth at lists.urth.net>
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 1:12:06 PM
>
> Subject: Re: (urth) Sleeping Baldanders
>
> Hm, now that is interesting, Witz.  Maybe if we combine this with  
> Bruce's observation that Baldanders' hormones may be playing with  
> his personality, and Dave's observation that he's only pretending to  
> be asleep and is actually awake, we may get at the root of this  
> enigmatic little scene.
>
> Matt
>
> --- On Mon, 12/29/08, Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org> wrote:
> From: Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>
> Subject: Re: (urth) Sleeping Baldanders
> To: "The Urth Mailing List" <urth at lists.urth.net>
> Date: Monday, December 29, 2008, 5:27 PM
>
> On Dec 29, 2008, at 5:39 AM, brunians at brunians.org wrote:
>
>
>
> >> I'm wondering about the short section in Chapter XV
> ("Baldanders"), in
> >> which Baldanders seems to be talking in his sleep.  Severian is  
> half
> awake
> >> and responding to what he thinks Baldanders is saying.  Any  
> thoughts
>
>
> on
> >> what's really going on there?
> >>
> >> Baldanders says four things: (1) Never."  (2)
> "Baldanders."  (3)
> >> "You--strike off."  (4) "Tomorrow, then."
>
>
> >>
> >> The scene is obviously meant to accomplish something, but I can't
> figure
> >> out what.  Severian's answers
>  simply recap things that have
> already been
> >> established, but I can't believe Wolfe just wanted to make sure we
> knew
> >> that Severian had been tossed out of the guild and is headed toward
>
>
> Thrax,
> >> or whatever.  So, any ideas?
> >
> > He wanted to make sure we knew that Baldanders knew.
>
>
> Knew that he was the New Sun to be?
>
> something like
> (you, the New Sun) "Never"
>
>
> (the New Sun will be ) "Baldanders"
> "You--strike off." (Get the hell out of here)
> "Tomorrow, then." (we will dispute this another day)
>
>
> something like that?
>
> ~witz
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