Sham War

Paul B · 08 Aug 2010, 14:36 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: pb.stuff at gmail.com (Paul B)
Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 10:36:56 -0400
Subject: (urth) Sham War
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimdG84_T-qqp0V8K+SmuZMEnMHretqON5W6uYbZ at mail.gmail.com>
References: <SNT123-W4344AF8AFED8FB0B6DE553CF930 at phx.gbl>
	<AANLkTimdG84_T-qqp0V8K+SmuZMEnMHretqON5W6uYbZ at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <AANLkTimai7Mdu+oojYfKwaRs8wst17GCEhimi-aZQtBu at mail.gmail.com>

Er, whoops.  Anyway, I'd meant to bring up the quote from Inire's letter to
the new Autarch in "Citadel" where he talks about getting the Hierogrammates
to side with "not just the side of Urth, but /our/ side" (emphasis mine).
That seems to contradict this pretty well.  Unless you'd like to come up
with a reason for Inire to lie so bluntly.

Paul

On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 10:34 AM, Paul B <pb.stuff at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 9:28 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> >Dave Lebling: I'm curious why you believe the war with Ascia was a sham.
>> Is this
>> >something you've posted about in the past?
>>
>> Not sure if I've posted on it in the past. I know some others have alluded
>> to
>> similar ideas.
>>
>> The reason for thinking it, in small part, is because Father Inire, the
>> old Autarch
>> and even the Cumaean describe how they are playing for both sides of the
>> conflict.
>>
>> But the larger part comes from the comment the old Autarch makes to
>> Severian before
>> he hands over the reins of power. He asks if Severian would prefer to
>> command the
>> Ascian army. Or both armies. I take this, if not a sincere offer, as a
>> truly possible
>> suggestion of something that could happen. A way of hinting to Severian
>> that not all
>> is as it seems.
>>
>> Both Vodalus and Tzadkiel make reference to Severian's life being like a
>> chess game,
>> Vodalus discussing the dark and light sides, Tzadkiel mentioning the
>> limitations of
>> pawns. One of the Pelerines suggests to severian that much more is going
>> on than a
>> battle between good and evil.
>>
>> My interpretation is that the on- and off-screen powers are playing a
>> chess
>> game here. Perhaps the same power is playing both sides. The outcome
>> doesn't matter.
>> The purpose of the game is to test the players under game conditions...one
>> player in
>> particular. I see a similar situation in regard to the conflicts on
>> Tzadkiel's ship
>> and Yesod.
>>
>> --
>>
>> For some reason I am reminded of Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, where
>> the main
>> character (an unpleasant guy) descends into mental illness as he becomes
>> convinced
>> he is the only human being on earth and all other people are robots sent
>> to test him.
>> At the end, he meets his Creator (Kurt Vonnegut jr. of course) in a bar
>> and it all
>> becomes very autobiographical and sad.
>>
>> I have to guess Gene Wolfe also has felt that powerful dark and light
>> forces have been
>> testing him his whole life. I'd guess he has dealt with them a little more
>> consciously
>> and knowledgeably than Severian though on a less cosmic level. But this
>> and others of
>> his work (Peace, surely) are his artistic way of expressing his
>> tribulations and trials
>> of life.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> Paul Borochin
> PhD student, Fuqua School
>



-- 
Paul Borochin
PhD student, Fuqua School
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