one-two-three for me

Nicholas Gevers · 16 Jan 2000, 00:22 · from urth-v0028.mbox · original

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From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Nicholas=20Gevers?= <vermoulian at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) one-two-three for me
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 00:22:06
Message-ID: <urth-v0028-0691 at digest.urth.net>
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For me, the similarity of "1-2-3" and "And When They
Appear" relates simply to the notion of cultural
suicide: after all, the wealthy elite in "And When"
clearly has ample technological resources, surely
enough to defeat a mob like "Carker's Army", yet they
seem content to die off futilely as individuals,
Jefferson with his rifle, the father by poison.
They've become demoralized, their cultural symbols
have degenerated into mechanical phantoms. What would
rescue humanity from this disaster? Answer: the regime
intimated in "1-2-3". But that's still not good
enough...

--- Jim Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net> wrote:
> >Nick wrote:
>=20
> >>All right, taking up the matter of "One-Two-Three
> ForMe": I haven't
> assigned it a=20
> >specifically religiousmeaning. For me, the story
> corresponds closely to
> "AndWhen They=20
> >>Appear", perhaps occurring much later in thesame
> general future. The
> civilization whose=20
> >>remainsthe protagonist of "One" investigates has,
> like thatin "And When",
> committed=20
> >>suicide, apparently from anennui born of the loss
> of meaning of all
> cultural symbols=20
> >>(including, very prominently, God).
>=20
> 	I did not find an implication of ennui in "And When
> They Come." Open to
> being shown, of course. The father simply kills
> himself and tries to kill
> his family. I took it that there was a societal
> breakdown, and roving bands
> of marauders were on the march, and the father was
> in despair. Moreover,
> the father brought home some chemical from work,
> whereas in "OneTwoThree
> for Me," the situation seems quite different. Same
> world? I'm having
> trouble making such a connection. Open to
> correction. Write back.
>=20
> Nutria
>=20
>=20
> the New Sun and other works
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>=20
>=20
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