Boatman as Inire

Lee Berman · 07 Aug 2010, 11:04 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 07:04:16 -0400
Subject: (urth) Boatman as Inire
Message-ID: <SNT123-W4120786751EAAD49CB3FFCF920 at phx.gbl>

>Roy C. Lackey- You keep throwing out statements like that as if they were accepted Lupine
>gospel: they are not. There is no textual evidence that Inire is either a
>shape-changer or Sev's grandfather. You pile speculation upon speculation in
>furtherance of one or another of your theories and/or some Grand Unified
>Theory, no matter the cost to logic or the text.

Ah, Roy, I despair. How could you hurt me, once again, by implying I have some belief in
"Lupine gospel". I don't even believe in any sort of gospel regarding the real world. How
could I espouse such superstition regarding a work of fiction? I think I qualify my 
suggestions with terms such as "I think" and "is possible" quite enough to dispel any notion
I am attempting to write something with biblical authority.

But if I am compelled to defend my logic, I suppose, again, I must. I will contrast my idea that
Father Inire is a shape-shifter with the idea that the maid-actress who plays Holy Katharine is
Severian's mother. That inference is based on hair color, the name Catherine and reference to a
pool of still water. Pretty flimsy evidence. Not very logical. Some don't buy it. Others who do
are willing to make a small leap of faith because, I think, they feel we are expected by the 
author to figure out who Severian's mother is. Maid Katharine is the best suggestion I've heard.

My inference regarding Father Inire is likewise inspired by a feeling that we are supposed to 
figure out a mystery regarding this guy. There is textual evidence too numerous to mention that
the aliens in this story are analagous to our pagan gods, monsters and angels. Many, many pagan
gods, monsters and angel myths describe the ability to shape change. *Father Inire is an alien.* 

So the suggestion that Inire might be a shape changer is hardly illogical or completely 
unsupported by the text. Shapeshifting is invoked numerous times in this story. Wolfe uses 
shapeshifting characters explicitly in some of his other stories. I don't see how one could claim
the idea of Father Inire as shapeshifter is impossible to have been on Gene Wolfe's mind as he 
wrote this story.

If you feel there is no mystery to be solved regarding Father Inire, that's fine. If you have an
alternate, better theory regarding his mystery I am certainly interested in hearing it. 

But if I am being told I have no right to even suggest a shape-shifting theory then I expect equal
criticism for any poster who suggests Maid Katharine is Severian's mother. My theory has supporting 
evidence all through the text; far better supported than Catherine with her dark hair, misspelled
name and a puddle in the woods ;- ).

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