Antipolaric brothers

Andrew Mason · 28 Nov 2010, 18:27 · from 2010-November.txt.gz

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From: andrew.mason53 at googlemail.com (Andrew Mason)
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:27:01 +0000
Subject: (urth) Antipolaric brothers
Message-ID: <AANLkTimw6-qsuHvgdkG0Upj=oDgNTdk5w-ccNnuk8nsz at mail.gmail.com>

I think I'd agree with SonofWitz that the idea, in its original
context, is meant simply to point up the contrast between the jungle
hut and a cell. It's a bit odd that a theory which seems in originin
to be about people is applied instead to places; but if it is, as I
would suppose, a real theory which exists somewhere, this new
application of it may not be too surprising. So I don't see a need to
look for any antipolaric brothers within _New Sun_. I just think this
idea might have later become an inspiration in the writing of _Long
Sun_. both in relation to Severian and Silk and to Silk and Auk.

I'm very doubtful about any general contrast between creators and
destroyers; creating one thing generally involves destroying another.
Severian is both a creative and a destructive figure; and so, I think,
is Typhon. I also think Typhon is definitely a chaotic figure. The old
Autarch says that the first empire failed because the people of Urth
carried all their wars out into the universe and started new ones
there. The reason humans cannot yet return to the stars is the fear
that they will do the same again. So it would seem that Typhon's plans
for empire, if successful, would have led to something similar; and
looking at what happens on the Whorl, this seems to be right.

That, of course, leaves it a bit puzzling what 'bright' and 'dark' do
mean. I certainly don't think they mean 'good' and 'evil'; neither
Severian nor Auk is evil.  But intuitively, I think 'dark' does fit
them, while 'bright' fits Silk.

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