system of langauge

maa32 · 30 Mar 2002, 00:26 · from urth-v0203.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (urth) system of langauge
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 17:26:58 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0203-511 at digest.urth.net>
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I don't know if many people have thought about Horn's life story as a semio=
tic=20
system that Silk uses to reconstruct himself, but if you want to make a cas=
e=20
about the universal application of stories even if they aren't true, it cou=
ld=20
be a pretty good way to look at the linguistic system in the Short Sun Book=
s. =20
Let's assume for this case the minimal supernatural stuff has gone on:
Silk is a shattered man who needs to heal his psyche somehow.  He steals th=
e=20
language system of a convenient fellow, someone who has died but still has =
a=20
home and family left to write back to.  He assumes that man's identity, and=20
then seeks to create a meaningful assertion of his identity using prepackag=
ed=20
langauge that does not belong to him: the story of the search for Silk turn=
s=20
into a method and a process through which Silk can find himself again- by=20
telling the story.  He attempts to defer death for Horn as long as he can (=
I=20
am paralleling the drive for the end of plot with the Thanatos syndrome of=20
Freud here).  The plot exists for as long as he can stave back an account o=
f=20
death from the text.  When Horn TRULY dies, he must face up to his own=20
identity - and he needs the story as extended therapy.

In this case, interpretive relativism is completely irrelevant: whatever=20
meaning Silk wants to ascribe to his own life, he can. Through the story of=20
Horn.  In other words, even if Horn's story had nothing to do with Silk, Si=
lk=20
could still meet himself in the system of language through constructing his=20
own identity.

As a schema for how fantastic literature might apply to real life, I find t=
his=20
particular picture kind of interesting.  It admits that language can be sto=
len=20
from its original context, abused, and misinterpreted; it also allows a=20
construction of self-identity through an assumed plot for anyone involved i=
n=20
that theft.

Perhaps the Book of the Short Sun illustrates how a closed system of langua=
ge=20
can still have a universal application even after it is (indeed, especially=20
after it is) stolen from its original context (in this case, from the mouth=
 of=20
the real Horn).

In other words, the text presents a model for overcoming the particular=20
constraints and limitations of a fantastic story in order to reapply it in =
a=20
useful way for a reader/analyst.  Which might be a nice way to justify the=20
study of fantastic literature in school.  Even though it's not real - it ca=
n=20
still be real.

I thought I'd fool you all by changing up my theme temporarily on the Short=20
Sun Books.  Does anybody else like this "therapeutic" approach to looking a=
t=20
Silk's claim to be Horn?

Marc Aramini

--=20

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