Dorcas

Clifford Drane · 08 Apr 1999, 04:10 · from urth-v0025.mbox · original

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From: "Clifford Drane" <dranec at hotmail.com>
Subject: (urth) Dorcas
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 23:10:35 CDT
Message-ID: <urth-v0025-0024 at digest.urth.net>
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I wrote:

> Also, has Dorcas as a parallel to the Lady of the Lake been=20
mentioned before? Severian grasps both her hand and the sword at the=20
same time, almost like she gave it to him. Any thoughts about that?

Yikes. I just read the Lexicon Urthus entry about Terminus Est. Guess=20
that idea had been bandied about before.

Also, to continue my ruminations about Dorcas being in stasis or=20
actually dead, 'Charon' tells the group that "the water... pickles=20
them." I guess that could mean it acts like formaldehyde (nothing=20
could survive in that!) and simply preserves bodies. But the eyes=20
popping open remark seems very important. Either she was so ill she=20
was submerged by mistake, and the shock of the water woke her (then=20
she drowned), or she was dumped by 'Charon'. It's also mentioned that=20
bodies are weighed down with lead shot in the stomach, and the eyes=20
glued shut. Dorcas never complained of being unusually heavy, and=20
obviously her eyes weren't cememented shut. So, I guess her being in=20
the lake IS indicative of foul play. How tragic. And 'Charon' seems=20
full of remorse. What a beautiful little tragedy, one of many in=20
TBOTNS.

Interestingly, it was pointed out to me today on the racquetball=20
court by a friend who's reading TBOTNS (he just finished Shadow),=20
that Dorcas, just after being resurrected, follows Severian like a=20
dog (parallel to Triskele).

ccd

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