Mirror Image Freedom

Lee Berman · 15 Dec 2010, 12:37 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:37:23 -0500
Subject: (urth) Mirror Image Freedom
Message-ID: <SNT123-W15C5FE5A555963C5960DA4CF140 at phx.gbl>

Discussion of Sidero sparked my thoughts regarding Inire and Tzadkiel, Commonwealth and The Ship as 
reversed mirror images of each other. On the issue of freedom: The Commonwealth is highly restrictive place. 
A caste system locks people into their social status. Guilds lock people into careers. There is slavery/
indentured servitude. The roads are closed. Reverence for the Autarch is mouthed everywhere (joining the 
war seems to be the only measure of freedom available..oh, and also pioneering a barren land as Casdoe and 
Becan do). (if we expand our view of Urth to Ascia the freedom issue is even worse)

On the Ship there isn't much restriction at all. We have an apparently absent Captain about whom sailors 
grumble has been too lax in control of jibers. Severian can wander around anywhere and everywhere, on deck, 
climb the sails etc. He can become a sailor at the drop of a hat. The only measure of authority seems to be, 
ironically, a piece of machinery designed entirely for human servitude: a suit of armour.  Sidereo is (to me)
one of the most unpleasant characters in BotNS. But perhaps he is a symbol of freedom, (or the problems with 
too much freedom?) in his fury at being put to the use he was designed for, by Severian crawling inside him.

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