Silkicide

Jason Ingram · 12 Jul 2002, 00:49 · from urth-v0207.mbox · original

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From: Jason Ingram <j_ingram at mac.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) Silkicide
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 17:49:48 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0207-1330 at digest.urth.net>
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Blattid, I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore . . .

Blattid wrote:

> Yes; I reread that passage last night. I don't think there is
> any real doubt that his arm wounds are self-inflicted; the
> only serious question is whether they are mourning gashes,
> as we know to be practiced in Viron, or an attempt at self-
> slaughter.
[...]
> I'm not sure whether we _can_ know whether Silk was attempting
> suicide; I'm watching for any further clues as I read.

I agree that the evidence is ambiguous.  I read the wounds as=20
self-inflicted, amounting to more than ritual gashes but less than an=20
intentional suicide attempt.  I half agree with Nutria, who writes:

"It seems to me that Silk's throwing away a knife might be a knife he=20
used in a vain attempt to ward off attackers, not one he used to inflict=20
wounds on himself. The Neighbor says Silk's body is okay. It seems to me=20
that if he had been trying for suicide, he would have succeeded. But I=20
may be wrong."

An excess of emotion might have led Silk to harm himself.  One=20
possibility I wanted to check when I re-read is whether Pig might have=20
been involved in hyacinth's death.  Other than that I'm not sure who the=20
attackers would have been.  Is there textual evidence?

Regarding the slips of self-naming mentioned: when I was scanning=20
through some of the books (incidentally, looking for textual evidence=20
that Silk gave blood to inhumi.  I was unable to find anything=20
convincing--he offers some to Krait as the latter is dying--IGJ p. 81=20
Tor hardcover-- and wishes he had thought to give some to Jahlee to=20
awaken her.  However, my search didn't amount to a perusal) I came=20
across a passage where the narrator notices that he had made a mistake,=20
and talks about why he didn't correct it.  I was also led to think that=20
the narrator would be worried about others reading his journal, which=20
might go far to account for Wolfe's intentional indirection.  The=20
passage that triggered that thought was one where the narrator writes=20
that he won't say where he hid his Azoth . . . I'll see if I can locate=20
the precise passages again should there be interest.

Sepia

--=20

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