Nerd? Artisan? PEACE!?

maa32 · 05 Jan 2002, 02:45 · from urth-v0031.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: Nerd? Artisan? PEACE!?
Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2002 19:45:19 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0031-urth.v031.n026.2 at digest.urth.net>
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Andy R wrote:
>
Wolfe is what we call a Nerd, in this decadent age, and in a better one
        would call an Artisan. His interest is in working quietly, cunningl=
y,=20
and well; his hope is to be ruled by a true and good King; and his nearest=20
self
        image (in his works) is the protagonist of PEACE.

        This is obvious from his books. Severian is no self-image of Wolfe:=
 I
        never read a less convincing portrayal of the interior monologue of=20
and
        aggressive and sexually violent man. Silk, celibate and constantly
        suffering for his high status, is something Wolfe is much happier=20
with.
>
I cannot agree with you on your characterization of a nerdy celibate,=20
especially from PEACE.  Weer molests an underage girl!  He calls sex=20
absolutely ordinary, going on all the time.  Come on, all Wolfe's females a=
re=20
close to hookers (some are sympathetic hookers).  I think that Severian's=20
interior monologue is a good representation of an aggressive man (and maybe=
 a=20
sexually violent man) because, let's face it, he doesn't think about it tha=
t=20
much, he just does it, and I think that is pretty realistic.  Do you think=20
Mike Tyson thinks about anything when he beats the crap out of people or=20
molests them? (here about that thing in Cuba over New Years?)  He doesn't e=
ven=20
remember the rules of boxing while he's in the ring.  Just think of Mike Ty=
son=20
telling you about his experience in the brothel where the girl said she'd=20
scream and he knew there was nobody around, and I think you'll come close t=
o=20
what you get in that scene in Shadow of the Torturer.

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