Hyacinth "post mortem"

David Stockhoff · 04 Nov 2011, 14:25 · from 2011-November.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:25:12 -0400
Subject: (urth) Hyacinth "post mortem"
In-Reply-To: <4EB3D2FE.7030800 at irit.fr>
References: <SNT123-W14A3444AD83F6A58E47560CFD50 at phx.gbl>
	<4EB3D2FE.7030800 at irit.fr>
Message-ID: <4EB3F5C8.1070803 at verizon.net>

On 11/4/2011 7:56 AM, Sergei SOLOVIEV wrote:
>
> There was some real "transsexual" (or something very close) in the 
> story told by
> Spider to Mint and Remora. When it really plays the role in the story
> it is told explicitly - even if it is needed only to create an 
> "atmosphere". 

The spy Titi, yes. It is made quite clear.

I don;t think it's atmosphere, though---I think Wolfe wants to include 
homosexuals etc. as imperfect human beings trying to be better with poor 
models to work from. They are imperfect in a certain way that fits with 
his concerns (obsessions?) with the body and procreation.

I think the "male Hy" theory needs some way to make Hy male in a way 
that does not involve genitals. For example---just an example---if we 
knew she were a female Typhon, i.e., a clone of him with a bit of a 
twist to make her female.

She'd then be a potentially aggressive masculine personality (if you 
accept Typhon's engineered general genetic superiority) in a very female 
body. If we assume that sex change surgery is unheard of in the Whorl, 
then that makes her almost, not quite, a transsexual who has no concept 
of transsexuality. As a prostitute, she is unspecific about her partners 
and may even register as bisexual. So she might be another type of the 
imperfect human striving to work it all out.

Again, just an example, with none of the implications worked out.

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