interview clipping on Free Live Free

maa32 · 20 Apr 2001, 07:08 · from urth-v0030.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (urth) interview clipping on Free Live Free
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 07:08:25
Message-ID: <urth-v0030-0323 at digest.urth.net>
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Before, I wrote
>
>As far as I remember from a Wolfe interview, I thought he identified Madame
>Serpentina as pride (she is a haughty wench) and Stubb as Envy.  I think=20
Wolfe
>waffled a little on identifying Stubb (little man complex seems like envy
>mixed with pride to me).

to which rostrum replied:
>
>I think the key has to be each one's temptation scene.  Stubb's seems to
>be appealing to his desire to be thought smart and essential for an
>important case (and appealing to the young woman), thus Pride (Envy
>involves resenting someone else who has what you don't).  We don't see
>Serpentina's but it seems to have been about giving her a shot at real
>supernatural power which seems to fit best under Avarice (maybe "lust for
>power"?  Or do the Seven Deadlies put that under Avarice and reserve Lust
>for sexual sins?  Do all sins fit under one of the Seven?).
>
Here is a quote from an online interview accessible through Paul Duggan's w=
eb=20
sight.

"GW: I suppose yeah. Yes. Somewhat the same concern. I tried to give the fo=
ur=20
borders, I tried to give each sort of a besetting sin. Madame Serpantina, i=
t's=20
pride. Candy, it is gluttony. Stub, I forget now. Osgood Barnes, sexuality =
of=20
course.

JJ: And you drew them somewhat from the _________

GW: Envy, envy I think is Stubbs. And I wasn't trying to write allegory. I=20
wasn't saying he was a personification of envy. I wanted to show men and wo=
men=20
who were actually beset by these sins. "

I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but once again we need to consider the=20
position of authorial intent: fallacy or definitively influential in=20
interpretation?
Marc Aramini

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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