Digest from urth@urth.net

matthew.malthouse · 11 Jun 2002, 07:08 · from urth-v0206.mbox · original

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From: matthew.malthouse at guardian.co.uk
Subject: Re: (urth) Re: Digest from urth at urth.net
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 08:08:21 +0100
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On 11/06/2002 03:25:28 David Duffy wrote:

>> Well, an important point, which should not be glossed over, is
>> Severian's experience with Loyal to the Group of Seventeen. [Despite]
>> control techniques available to the rulers of Ascians, the human
>> spirit, so to speak, perseveres. The Ascians are not utterly-lost
>
>Has anyone mentioned this is a response/riposte to Orwell and Nuspeak?

I can't recall if it's been mulled over on list but that was certainly the
very first thought that came into my mind when encountering Loyal.  This
subsequently informed my reading of all matters Ascian, particularly the
nature of the war - that war, irrespective of outside influence, might be
a tool of internal policy rather than motivated by external aims.  I see
no textural support for such a thought and neither did it seem significant
to any aspect of narative or plot so I set the thought aside as
inconsequential except perhaps in a literary criticism way.  1984 was and
remains an influential work, especially in those years leading up to that
date when there was almost a sort of millennarianism about.  Recall that
in the mid seventies the Soviet union showed no sign of the reformation
we've since experienced, there appeared to be no prospect of any end to
the cold war and 'godless communism' still seemed capable of gaining
ground.  It's possible to see allegory here but not, I think, necessary.
It might have been quite plausible at the time to think such conflict
inevitable and eternal short of divine intervention.

Matthew

--=20

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