lost in the big woods

Andy Robertson · 01 Jan 1998, 03:36 · from urth-v0202.mbox · original

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From: "Andy Robertson" <andywrobertson at clara.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) lost in the big woods
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 03:36:24 -0000
Message-ID: <urth-v0202-86 at digest.urth.net>
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Straight" <straight at email.unc.edu>
>
> > The subject of sex in Wolfe deserves extended treatment.
> > although I don't consider his writings sexist,

> It seems possible to me that Wolfe's treatment of sex may be
> related to Christian doctines about sexuality.  The main orthodox
> understanding of sex seems to be that though sex is a good thing,
> in fallen human beings, sexuality gets warped in all kinds of bad ways.

Wolfe seems to me to be admirably realistic about sexual matters, except in
TBOTNS, where Severian's sexual crippling is fundamental to his being.

It seems that Severian is sterile, and that he cannot become fertile until
he has been judged fit to be Autarch, and then either given license to
propagate his genes or castrated.

But he is the last Autarch, and his progeny, if any, will inhabit Ushas.

His avid fornications and his incestuous love are the flipside of this
future fertility, and are appropriate to the dying Urth.

    hartshorn
=2E

--=20

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