interview questions

Lee Berman · 30 Dec 2010, 22:13 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:13:56 -0500
Subject: (urth) interview questions
Message-ID: <SNT123-W432167598B2C50086D5D6ACF030 at phx.gbl>

First, thanks to all who helped me get the main plot of SilkHorn and his eye in
perspective. I am less familiar with Long/Short Sun and I admit that my 1-2 readings
of them have been biased by a laser focus on elements which relate to BotNS, which
will probably always be my main lupine interest.

>Jordon Flato: Well, I don't think that is really a Trial per say.  More of a Drama.  A Passion, if you will.  
>;)  The trial has been Severian's journey.

>Marc Aramini: yeah, but why have Tzadkiel enact a passion there?  Hmm.

My thoughts exactly. Hm..The same every which way you turn, hm...Yes, the Trial was a sham. We are never told
how Severian actually passes his test. Maybe by accepting responsibility as Epitome of Urth, taking the title 
forcibly from big, heroic looking Zak. Maybe it was because eidolons of people he had harmed during his life 
defended him. Maybe by his actions on the journey on the Ship fighting against jibers and working as a comrade
with  the various versions of Zak. There is a whiff of truth but none of it really, really makes sense.

Severian is essentially tricked into drowning Urth.  He doesn't know he'll be doing that as New Sun. He feels
terrible about it later. He thought he was saving Urth instead he kills everyone he ever knew. Even the new 
humanity is composed of his enemies during the test. This is like a classic trick of The Devil, where no good 
deed goes unpunished and you end up creating your own worst nightmare. But Wolfe tells that tale in a way where
we are not even sure anything is wrong.  

Why are the Hierogrammates essentially 
Nazis, committing genocide to further their own cause and create a purified race? Why are the demons on Urth 
actually pushing for the future which would save humanity, if not on Urth then on another planet, as Ash tells 
us. Surely Erebus and Abaia are bad. Look at Ascia.....Why is Ash such a cool guy and the Green Man has a laugh 
worse than an alzabo.  Why, after all the serious advice does tinker bell Tzadkiel laugh at Severian as he leaves....
etc.  Nothing is quite right.  Thus my crisis of faith.

But.. It isn't really a crisis. I think this endless labyrinth of not knowing which superhuman group to believe 
in is EXACTLY where Wolfe eventually wants the thoughtful reader to land. It is a maze with no exit. Everywhere you
turn you encounter the same characters or similar characters and you are never on certain footing. Angels have a
demonic side and demons might actually not be so bad...Similar to the ending of Short Sun/Whorl. We've got
colonization of a new planet. A new hope! Except it is a flooded planet with monsters who eat people in the 
sea, vampires increasing in population. Little hope for a good future on Green. How about the Whorl? Godlings
don't seem too promising as perhaps the electronic gods are incarnating and growing in size and power..

I think this is what Wolfe wants us to realize is the inevitable result of not being a Christian. Without a 
pure and unequivocal path to salvation, what does a human being have? Nothing. False gods on all sides. And 
just when you think you know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, you find out the "truth" and 
realize you don't know anything, that you are contending with powers greater than yourself who can trick you
with effortless ease (be it Dionysus, your nation or a political party, humanitarianism, Buddha, or whatever 
it is you worship). The only way out of the labyrinth is, of course, Jesus Christ who (for me) is so blatantly
conspicuous in his absence in the Sun series.

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