Dorcas (was: The mystery of the image of an astronaut cleaned by Rudesind)

Ryan Dunn · 09 Jul 2010, 23:34 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: ryan at liftingfaces.com (Ryan Dunn)
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 19:34:12 -0400
Subject: (urth) Dorcas (was: The mystery of the image of an astronaut
	cleaned by Rudesind)
In-Reply-To: <4C379FC6.7030907 at gmail.com>
References: <AANLkTilDzPvDOwvuNP_V8cXYTXHlU8zNvl-NEfP1Nzd9 at mail.gmail.com>
	<4C379FC6.7030907 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <34BADACE-E61F-471E-839B-F16AF23780A6 at liftingfaces.com>

On Jul 9, 2010, at 6:16 PM, James Wynn wrote:

>>> James Wynn wrote:
>>> The issue is whether Dorcas as Sev's grandmother was
>>> explained in terms that made it convincing to all.
>>>     
>> On 7/9/2010 4:53 PM, Tony Ellis wrote:
>> No, the issue in this thread is whether it was explained in terms so
>> *un*convincing that you were right to call it 'a half-baked theory' or
>> 'only understood 20 years after the book was published'.
>>   
> 
> No. You misread part of that. I did not call it a half-baked theory. I said this:
>> The only reason
>> it's not sitting on the "Half-baked Theory" pile today is because Wolfe
>> uncharacteristically confirmed it to a questioner.
>>   
> 
> If it was explained in terms at all before the late 90s, I'm unaware of it.

I've read BotNS twice through, and am on a third scouring, non-linear, clue hunting, note-taking. I came to the grandma Dorcas without much effort, which is saying alot if you've read my previous argument starters (aka mailing list threads).

But I think the point was, it wasn't explained in the late 90's, but rather in the mid-80's when the books were published, because the explanations are in the text, quite obviously in my opinion.

Dorcas and the boatman birthed 'You-Are-My-Mother-Come-Again' Ouen.

Ouen knocked up Catherine, who was handed to the torturers where she birthed Severian (plenty exposition going to great lengths to explain what happens when a woman gives birth while a client of the Matachin Tower.

And finally, Severian clearly described as sharing Ouen's profile.

Done and done, as far as I can deduce.

Now, about those monkeys........

...ryan

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