Severian's sister/ancestry - query.

Lee Berman · 06 Aug 2010, 14:06 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 10:06:04 -0400
Subject: (urth) Severian's sister/ancestry - query.
Message-ID: <SNT123-W1906DEBF376CDB711D0F42CF910 at phx.gbl>

>Jeff Wilson- I believe he does open the records, which is how he knows his mother's 
>name and hair color, which Ouen confirms, and that he does it almost 
>immediately upon his ascension, before Dorcas can get over her grief of 
>the boatman and flee their house in the ruins.

I generally agree with Jeff Wilson. Severian is least forthcoming with us in regard to
his problems with incest. We are given enough information to fairly easily deduce that
Dorcas is his grandmother though he never comes out and says so.

Given his initial intense curiousity, it seems almost impossible that, as Autarch, he 
would not use his power to investigate his own family tree (just as it seems impossible
that there was no buggery going on among torturer's apprentices). Such things draw 
attention to themselves by their conspicuous absence.

How can Severian admit to us that he discovered all the major loves and conquests of his
life were family members, Dorcas, Thecla, Valeria, Jolenta and Cyriaca all being prime
candidates, I think.  Sometimes I doubt whether Wolfe would set up a scenario and then
disguise it so impenetrably. Then some other new subtle revelation makes an appearance
30 years after publishing and I once again believe it.

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