Forlesen

mary whalen · 30 Sep 1998, 17:48 · from urth-v0019.mbox · original

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From: mary whalen <marewhalen at yahoo.com>
Subject: (urth) Re:  Forlesen
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 17:48:50
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This is Sean Whalen (prion).

I read this story for the first time today because of the recent
discussion of it.  First of all, I'd just like to make a minor
correction to what Robert Borski recently wrote.  He said that the
first and last names of the generations of people went AB, BC, CD, DE,
EF, etc.  Actually, as far as I can see, it just goes in the pattern
AB, CD, EF, GH, etc.  That is, we meet people with names like Adam
Bean, Cappy Dillingham, Enid Fenton, and George Howe.  Since E.
Forlesen replaces Cappy Dillingham and is replaced by George Howe, I
think this those are all in the series.  Also, the story seems not to
just happen in one day, but to be at least two days, and possibly
more.  On the first day, he goes home to eat lunch, then goes back to
work at 129 "ours" or a little later.  When he arrives, he finds out
that he's been promoted.  Then there is a break in the text, and the
next paragraph has him at the time 125 ours, presumably of some latter
day (there are only 240 hours in a day, so this is not the second 125
in the first day).

I also have a few observations.  Part of the story seems to be about
what Wolfe regards as the loss of personal freedom in the modern
world, especially in the section when Forlesen is reading the pamphlet
on how to drive a car.  Also, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned
the possible significance (since this is Wolfe) of the name Emanuel.=20
First of all, it resembles the word "manual" so this might have added
significance with the German word vorlesen (to read out), a manual
readout, or something, of a computer.  But also, Emanuel (or Immanuel)
is supposedly the name that Christ was to be given (if I remember
correctly, it means "God will save us" or something similar).

Finally, what does it signify that the units of measurement of time
are called "ours?"

prion

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