Father Inire Theory

Lee Berman · 04 Dec 2010, 11:47 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2010 06:47:24 -0500
Subject: (urth) Father Inire Theory
Message-ID: <SNT123-W4314B708F888A0E9F98932CF290 at phx.gbl>

I understand that Gene Wolfe's work attracts a lot of scientists and science-minded people. 
I have been one myself though I am now retreated to the comfort and boredom of government work;
I confess to enjoying reviewing grant applications over writing them. But I can appreciate
the tendency toward peer-reviewing ideas about this story as though it were science with the need
for vigorous gatekeeping. But my preferred approach is to view the process as art/literature 
appreciation and its encouragement of creative thinking.

>Jeff Wilson: I think the main point of objection is that the Boatman visibly *dies* 
>ten years before the Book mentions Inire is still around.

That has been a minority but significant objection through the past few years (I think it has been
5-6 years since I first posted my ideas). If we can postulate that Father Inire=The Boatman
and if we can postulate that the Father Inire is modelled after a Greek god pattern there are two
reasonable guesses to address the objection.

1. Father Inire is immortal. He is not really dead but feigning death. He does this because his
purpose in getting Severian to resurrect Dorcas is accomplished and he needs to focus on other
tasks. Also he needs to give his beloved Dorcas closure so she can move on and make the most of
her resurrected life. 

2. Father Inire is like Dionysus/Pan (or Tzadkiel, or Abaia and Scylla) and able to to multiply 
himself into a bunch of cloned beings all working to accomplish his various goals simultaneously.
Perhaps the clones are not immortal and will die once their task is completed.

Either way, Dorcas will probably end up living with her son Ouen, whom Severian has assigned to
seek her out. He is twice her age but she will probably be attracted to his kind, gentle nature
and he to her for obvious reasons. ("ewwww").

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