Sev's Family Tree

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 28 Jan 2011, 17:50 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:50:24 -0800
Subject: (urth) Sev's Family Tree
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Gerry Quinn wrote:

> I don't think I would call it a different creature, really, or use the word
> 'merger'. ?It is still an alzabo, which is using Becan's mind as a tool. Any
> parts of Becan's mind that would be unsuited to the alzabo's purposes are
> ruthlessly discarded.

I don't think it's that simple. The part of Becan's mind that seeks to
defend his family is decidedly counter-survival for the alzabo, yet it
takes over at the critical moment (and gets the alzabo killed).
Becan's mind is fully active there.

But I agree that it isn't a merger; the alzabo temporarily hosts Becan's mind.


> By the same token, I don't think there is any merger between Severian and
> Thecla (or, later, the past autarchs). ?Thecla's memories and some of her
> personality are in Severian's mind, and can occasionally even get out of
> control, but there is never a truly merged personality. ?He remains
> Severian, just as the alzabo remains alzabo.

I would claim that Thecla is actually fully alive in Severian's brain
- that he has wrought a sort of bodiless resurrection. The memories of
the former Autarchs he does not do this for.

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes

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