Thea's Identity

Marc Aramini · 19 Apr 2013, 14:28 · from 2013-April.txt.gz

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From: marcaramini at yahoo.com (Marc Aramini)
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:28:36 -0700
Subject: (urth) Thea's Identity
In-Reply-To: <BLU175-W19CE3E9297EE1A7019FFEACFC80 at phx.gbl>
References: <BLU175-W19CE3E9297EE1A7019FFEACFC80 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <945BD4E2-5038-402C-9EF8-662CB9DCE828 at yahoo.com>

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 19, 2013, at 5:45 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I think Silk is left childless for the same reason, but interestingly, SilkHorn does
> end up having children (some actual offspring, others being Inhumi surrogates). And
> these characters do confuse and distract the sense of purpose in Horn's story making 
> him more human than Severian and Silk, which was surely intended.      

Really quickly because I think it is something readers overlook.  Horn is a jerk.  He thinks about his wife in obw because that is the effect of being mixed with Silk, silk is thinking about hyacinth and his affectations have crept in, making Horn better.  But Horn knows it is a lie.  Thus when Horn proclaims his love for Nettle, it is mixed with Silk's love.  When Horn mostly leaves in the end of Obw, that affection for everything is Silk, Silk in denial.  

Of course Horn still cares for his children, as can be seen when Babbie throws down the man who starts to attack his son in Rttw and embraces Horn's son, but all the confusion over whether Horn pines for Nettle or not is simply the much more human Silk affecting him. 

Horn is not the one distracted by his family to the degree Silk is distracted by everyone.

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