Sleeping Baldanders

Matthew Groves · 30 Dec 2008, 02:00 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: matthewalangroves at gmail.com (Matthew Groves)
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:00:41 -0600
Subject: (urth) Sleeping Baldanders
In-Reply-To: <51490DE3-A28A-498E-8382-303F555397D6 at butcherbaker.org>
References: <177096.6912.qm at web59602.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>
	<150173.8352.qm at web37606.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
	<8476d0320812291246w49b4e8cbj9a9a5358c529b921 at mail.gmail.com>
	<3e1fa2e90812291348g1ac89609g60dce32a25568b8d at mail.gmail.com>
	<51490DE3-A28A-498E-8382-303F555397D6 at butcherbaker.org>
Message-ID: <39ed084f0812291800j7ae2f9fetd825faf2bcd78293 at mail.gmail.com>

This scene reminds me of Moby Dick, where Ishmael has to sleep next to
Queequeg at the inn.  Looking back at Moby Dick, I feel sure Wolfe is
referring to Melville here.  Melville makes reference several times to a
counterpane in Chs. 3 and 4, and Severian writes that before going to bed,
"I took of my cloak and spread it on the worn counterpane."

I think the bit about striking off is a bit of picaresque humor in the vane
of, say, Moby Dick, but it is a mystery to me what Baldanders means about
"Never," unless they have something to do with the spooky dreams he reports
having had.

OT: Has anyone ever read John Myers Myers's *Silverlock*?  Recommend it?

On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 6:00 PM, Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>wrote:

> 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?
>
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