Spiritual and Ecological Sucession

Jordon Flato · 11 Jan 2011, 21:48 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: jordonflatourth at gmail.com (Jordon Flato)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:48:48 -0800
Subject: (urth) Spiritual and Ecological Sucession
In-Reply-To: <FB7C96B1-57FF-4AE0-9415-C359EB346AE0 at butcherbaker.org>
References: <SNT123-W7D94AFD8F7A4A37128AF0CF0F0 at phx.gbl>
	<FB7C96B1-57FF-4AE0-9415-C359EB346AE0 at butcherbaker.org>
Message-ID: <AANLkTinaNgyiPXOm-6Q8hUD6pRsAD_9+HJP64Nfi=Wvd at mail.gmail.com>

On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 1:13 PM, Son of Witz <Sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>wrote:

>
> People keep getting it wrong.
> Wolfe wrote to Marc, "No, No, No, Green is Urth"
> NOT "Urth is Green"
>
> But Wolfe DIDN'T say "Green is Ushas", which to me would have made it
harder to discount it as anything other than a nod toward a literal
solution.  He said Green is Urth.  This sets up in my brain in a purely
symbolic/metaphoric resonance.

If Green is Urth (and hey, we're being literal here, so let's not get cheeky
with this Urth/Ushas are the same thing crap) then Green would have to been
in Severian's past, pre Ushas conversion.  And that, to me, seems completely
impossible, unsupported, and just doesn't make sense.

Urth becomes Ushas.  It does not remain Urth.

So if Green is Urth, to me this sets up a clear metaphor that Green is a
symbol of what Urth would have become without a flood.  A world ruled by
monsters, taken over by survival of the fittest, and left to rot and decay
in it's own filth.  Sure it's lush, but it's a lushness of hell.  So, yes,
clearing the sewers is a highly resonant act to Severian bringing the flood.

And Blue has a number of thematic resonances with Ushas.  So Wolfe has set
up a great system for us where he can play with the symbolic consequences of
a Urth without Flood (Green) and an Urth with flood (Blue).

At least that's what strikes me in the moment.
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