Like a good Neighbor

David Stockhoff · 22 Nov 2011, 17:43 · from 2011-November.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:43:27 -0500
Subject: (urth) Like a good Neighbor
In-Reply-To: <4ECBDACC.3070804 at gmail.com>
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	<4ECBDACC.3070804 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4ECBDF3F.6090705 at verizon.net>

On 11/22/2011 12:24 PM, James Wynn wrote:
> On 11/22/2011 7:31 AM, entonio at gmail.com wrote:
>>
>> Aiui James considers that the definiteness of Horn dying in the pit 
>> is an important element in itself - not the death, but its definiteness.
>
> Sure. This is not like the end OBW where Marc believes he detects a 
> death. The death on Green is not treated this way.
> The narrator makes a big freakin deal over the moment Horn falls in to 
> the pit. Saying "Well, there are lots of deaths in this story" doesn't 
> cut it for me. I think this is one of the biggest non-secret secrets 
> in Wolfe literature. He never waves flags like this. But apparently it 
> wasn't enough.

That "definiteness" is an interesting problem. I agree that the narrator 
waves a big flag about it and that this is a critical aspect of the event.

But you must also agree that this flag has some fine print---that it 
subverts itself, it's waved so hard. By this I mean simply that not only 
has a death occurred---though under rules we do not yet know---but a 
supernatural event has occurred as well. Horn continues, _in some form_, 
and the story goes on. But note that the story has almost just 
begun---the reader will be jolted, and will be instructed too. "Do not 
trust deaths." Much is NOT told here beyond the death itself.

And a comparison to the "death" at the end of OBW is useful too. I think 
there is a flag raised here that is much more subtle and there are 
reasons for this. (1) It's been done already and can't be repeated (2) 
the reader should know now not to trust (3) it's a more natural ending. 
Horn has reached Pajarocu and Rajan has fled Gaon and the personality he 
cultivated there; the book ends. Major shift coming.

I think however the event is much the same: a death has occurred that is 
largely real although but barely physical---working under rules we do 
not yet know---but a supernatural event has occurred as well. Horn does 
continue _in some form_ but the story changes a bit more than it did 
last time. In a sense, I argue that this death must be MORE important, 
though it is accompanied by less vigorous flagwaving. In a way (or 
several ways, both narratively and plotwise at least), it was _made 
possible_ by the first death, which was a template for it. Its lack of 
definition makes sense to me, since the reader now knows or guesses a 
little more about how death works here.

Looking ahead to the NEXT death .... !

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