the pelagic argosy sights the new sun

Lee Berman · 09 Feb 2011, 17:55 · from 2011-February.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 12:55:23 -0500
Subject: (urth) the pelagic argosy sights the new sun
Message-ID: <SNT123-W3412514EE6D8D9404D50FCFED0 at phx.gbl>

>Marc Aramini: Green things die that men may live, and MEN DIE THAT GREEN THINGS MAY LIVE

It seems clear that the New Sun and its killing of humanity so that green things (even a green man)
may live is presaged here. The pelagic, watery, fish stuff combined with the green stuff makes it
clear that Wolfe is trying to get at something in BotNS that he more fully fleshes out in Short Sun
with Blue and Green. 

As Severian is alone in the mountains above Thrax he ponders ideal worlds. Two of the principles he
considers as ideal seem to be a population of people all brothers because they are derived from the 
same two ancestors (or something like that). And also vegetarianism. I think Wolfe's values may have
mutated a bit in the 20 years between BotNS and Short Sun. But death of humanity, blue water and green 
plants seem to persist as themes. (and for me, it is difficult to find the basics of Christianity there).

Natural trees being higher than man-made masts seems to suggest the idea that our current humanity is an 
artificial, flawed, imperfect (perhaps corrupted?) species. Perhaps one that needs to be replaced. Such 
a philosophy doesn't seem too crazy for the 70's in America.

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