Father Inire Theory

Lee Berman · 05 Dec 2010, 04:07 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2010 23:07:20 -0500
Subject: (urth) Father Inire Theory
Message-ID: <SNT123-W3664083CF6C9DF165E0523CF2A0 at phx.gbl>

>Jeff Wilson: Maxellindis' uncle was under constant observation by Eata for four or 
>five years on their boat before *he* died, also during the time when 
>Inire was actively serving Autarch Severian.

We could thus disqualify Maxellindis' uncle from consideration as a version of Inire.
Or it could be a push toward option 2: The multiple versions of Inire are independently 
operating copies of a larger god-like being. I've been leaning toward #2 for a while.

The process is after the pattern we see in Abaia with his multiple agent undines like Juturna 
and Idas I think we see the process starting with Great Scylla at the end of RttW with the army
of black-cloaked clones growing up from her back. We get the clearest view of it with Tzadkiel 
shapeshifting into to animals and humans and angels of various sizes and genders. 

But whether it be furry beast, hairy troglodyte, Adonis-human, male or female angel, somehow 
Severian, like the youngest suitor in Foila's story, can always identify the shape-shifter. Now
(I ask myself) if Severian can identify Tzadkiel in all those various guises, why can't he
identify Inire in all his forms?

The answer is truly central and key to my GUT theory. The answer being that Severian can probably 
identify Father Inire in all his versions. So why doesn't he tell us? The answer is: 

For the same reason Agilus will not openly tell Severian about his incestuous relationship with
his sister. For the same reason Severian will not openly tell us that he knows Dorcas, his lover,
is his grandmother. Severian knows Father Inire's shameful place in his family and, as an unreliable
narrator, is certainly not going to tell us about it. Not in so many words, anyway.

I think Wolfe writes BotNS about Severian in first person so that we might know what it would be like 
to be a contemporary school chum of a greek hero like Heracles. To be friends with him and really know 
the guy. But what would Heracles say if you asked him, "Hey Herk, why is your twin brother so different 
from you; why are you are so big and strong and he is not?"

I suggest that in that situation, Heracles would hem and haw and dissemble and lie or do whatever it took 
to avoid telling you, "Look, Zeus disguised himself as my father and raped my mother, then my father had 
sex with her the same night, so she got pregnant with us as twins but we have different fathers". Its just
embarassing and the family's dirty linen isn't something you air out among friends. 

Actually I detect a number of really shameful things going on with Severian that he indirectly reveals in 
his narrative without openly revealing them.  I guess it might be based on a personal conceit but I think
I know how liars talk when they are lying. And so does Gene Wolfe. He has Severian, and Agilus and the Old
Leech and Rudesind and others lie to us throughout the text. Eventually you can pick up the pattern.

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