exhaustion of the feminine

maa32 · 25 Nov 2002, 14:21 · from urth-v0211.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (urth) exhaustion of the feminine
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 07:21:50 -0700
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In a previous post, Don asserted that he sees little need for Dorcas to be =
a=20
familial relation of Severian's.  I argue that it is imperative that she be=
 a=20
member of his line:  her love is a distorted version of motherly love that =
is=20
the most redeeming love in the text outside of divinity.

I argue that, as Gene Wolfe has stated, in some small part the story of=20
Severian is the story of a man looking for love.  I think that Wolfe is a=20
careful enough writer to show that these females (whatever you think of the=
m)=20
are symbolic of something other than themselves.  In the text, first you ha=
ve=20
an ideal of beauty that you covet (Thea), then you have the prostitute - th=
e=20
easiest form of "love" for a young boy to get with a little cash - that=20
mirrors a desire (that mirrors another desire).

Then you have a wiser, older mentor (Thecla).  Then the femme fetale in the=20
form of Agia - conniving, plain outside and ugly inside - then you have the=20
most redeeming love of the text - one that must be explored in the same sex=
ual=20
metaphor that Wolfe uses to explore all the others - the most versatile for=
m=20
of love (note the changing flowers in dorcas' hair - she is the only one wh=
o=20
can change her flowers if we associate Thecla with the death lillies and Ag=
ia=20
with the Avern) - that of the mother figure.  It is a tension between sexua=
l=20
desire and the need to be protected from the external environment - and not=
ice=20
how Dorcas changes Sev's perceptions of the outside world by having him fee=
l=20
her up, presenting him with the archetypal symbol of safety - the breast. =20
That's pretty motherly.  Then we have false vanity, teasing, and uppitiness=20
(Jolenta).  Later we get an exploration of adultery (Cyriaca), then an=20
exploration of slavery/ bondage in the form of Pia, and perhaps one of bugg=
ery=20
with little Sev. (but probably not)  Finally this culminates in frigid, ban=
al=20
marriage with a haughty wench that leaves everybody feeling bad, so one mig=
ht=20
as well go to the stars to be castrated.

In many ways, the text is an exhaustion of the possibilities of happiness=20
through either feminine spirituality or sexuality (you've noticed all those=20
evil feminine goddesses and cults lurking in the text, Don). Love, to a you=
ng=20
man, might seem to be best embodied by someone in the image of his mother, =
but=20
even that should be shunned for something a bit more redemptive and spiritu=
al,=20
as Severian ultimately does.  I think Dorcas needs to be maternal, and=20
Severian's symbolic incest is not contrary to Wolfe's intentions, for the=20
thematic consistency of the book relies on all of these various roles offer=
ing=20
nothing but a vacuous relief from lust and desire in the form of a grasping=
,=20
new hatched chick hungry to devour the world.  (At least, I think so).

Marc Aramini

--=20

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