Short Sun notes: Remora.

Lee Berman · 08 Oct 2013, 12:40 · from 2013-October.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2013 08:40:08 -0400
Subject: (urth) Short Sun notes: Remora.
Message-ID: <BLU175-W18F0DE296C298FBF64648BCF1C0 at phx.gbl>

>Brian: If the Neighbors thought humans more capable, it would be through
>treating them with kindness, ala Silk, creating a generation of kinder, 
>gentler Inhumi.

>Andrew Mason: Well, the inhumi believe that humans could defeat them by being 
>more noble- that is the point of the 'Secret'. And when the Rajan says that this is
>'a weapon too heavy for our hands', he also says that the Neighbours knew
>of it but were unable to use it - which suggests to me that they do hope
>humans will be able to wield it.

>David Stockhoff: Yup.

I'm hearing you guys, and considering a change of perspective. There is some thematic
sense to this view. But some barriers still exist for me. 

1. In their experience with humans, wouldn't the Neighbors more likely to find Horn as 
a typical representation of the species than Silk? And while Silk was surely kind and
gentle, he clearly had the capacity for violence and destruction when he felt the need.

2. The story/series doesn't end with some sort of peace or reconciliation or understanding
between human and inhumi. Quite the opposite. After the bond of cooperation established
during the dream travelling, that is tossed aside and the final interaction between the
races is akin to an all-out war.

I guess it could thus be argued that Wolfe ended this long story/series with a failure of 
the human race. But while Wolfe can be pessimistic, my intuition pushes me to think that
the human war with inhumi was meant to signify hope and eventual triumph, rather than 
acquiescence to the inevitable.

When the peaceful Neighbors went to Green, they were twisted by their contact/entwinement
with inhumi into making war on their brothers back on Blue. But humans, usually so 
quarrelsome among each other, band together to fight against the inhumi threat on Blue.

The band of humans marooned on Green showed similar unity and pluck in the face of 
overwhelming odds. And SilkHorn's experience in the sewer on Green seemed to suggest that one 
man with a sword and a light can be the catalyst for major changes to a corrupted environment.

I wouldn't suggest Gene Wolfe is a simplistic, American patriot, but this idea
of fiercely independent individuals coming together to fight against a common enemy seems
like a positive value he might espouse as "uniquely human". Especially in contrast to a
pluralistic, non-individualistic species such as Neighbors (no I won't mention communism, 
heh).

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