The Two Katharines

Jeff Wilson · 15 Aug 2010, 23:47 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:47:04 -0500
Subject: (urth)  The Two Katharines
In-Reply-To: <B9F8956821A146768674510342FC715E@jill>
References: <SNT123-W600A052417E0EFCAD6CFE0CF990 at phx.gbl>	<bbf4ed32ee9b5ffd38e0c2a95287a472.squirrel at webmail.prismnet.com>
	<B9F8956821A146768674510342FC715E@jill>
Message-ID: <4C687C78.5030807 at io.com>

On 8/15/2010 5:13 AM, Gerry Quinn wrote:
>
> From: "Jeff Wilson" <jwilson at io.com>
>>>> Gerry Quinn:
>
>>>> The hypothesis that Dorcas is Severian's grandmother has distinctive
>>>> characteristics that many such hypotheses lack...
>>>
>>> That Severian seems to be actively investigating his family tree does
>>> add
>>> a somewhat unique aspect to this puzzle. Boatman as grandfather, Ouen as
>>> father and Holy Katharine maid as mother joins in this aspect. (I must
>>> wonder why the Boatman, alone, remains unnamed).
>>
>> I don't think there is confirmation that Holy Katherine and Mom are the
>> same person.
>
> It has some plausibility, I think, because of the similarity of names,
> and because her crime was apparently somewhat minor. Maybe she was sent
> to serve the torturers for a spell, rather than be excruciated by them.

I guess Mom Catherine might be loose somewhere, maybe even back with the 
Pelerines, but the Holy Katharine maid retains her maid-like appearance 
for at least 15-20 years. This kind of youth for a human being is 
unknown in the Book.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >

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