DOORS: The Hero, The Otherworld, The Ending

cilluff1 at optonline.net · 14 Jan 2003, 23:29 · from urth-v0301.mbox · original

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From: "cilluff1 at optonline.net" <cilluff1 at optonline.net>
Subject: RE: (urth) DOORS: The Hero, The Otherworld, The Ending
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 18:29:36 -0500
Message-ID: <urth-v0301-2658 at digest.urth.net>
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Mantis wrote:

<<Since "identity" is such a strong part of TAD, and since the goddess
clearly has so many names, it seems like an unnecessary straitjacket to
identify a single name as the hero's=3D2E=3D2E=3D2E=3D2E=3D2E

I am struck by the sense of continuity between the men who are lovers of
the goddess, but I don't know if it is exclusively the "Wolfe
reincarnation" theme or the "Wolfe spirit possession" theme=3D2E  That is t=
o=3D

say, is Green a reincarnation of Captain Billy?>>>

This was my take on it=3D2E  In support of this, the goddess supplies the n=
a=3D
me
Adam for the hero, making me think that he is the "first man" for her spli=
=3D
t
again and again through all these worlds/lives=3D2E  Also, she does not com=
m=3D
ent
or reply to his comment that she is drawn to men name William=3D2E  Of cour=
s=3D
e,
North and Klamm both are Williams, and the hero obviously is not them --
although perhaps I should just say he does not seem to be them=3D2E  I gues=
s=3D

the fact that he meets them does not preclude them really being the "same"=
=3D

person from different worlds=3D2E  In fact, this would explain why Klamm ca=
l=3D
ls
the hero "Herr Kay," which is his own name=3D2E =3D20

The only wrinkle in the "hero as reincarnated Cpt=3D2E Billy" theory is Lar=
a=3D
's
bread test, where he must drop the piece of bread into the wine and if it
sinks he can follow her=3D2E  Why would he need to do this if he really wer=
e=3D

the same man that Lara herself has been "following" (or at least "finding"=
=3D
)
again and again?  Of course, the dropping the bread into the wine obviousl=
=3D
y
conjures up the Catholic sacrement of Communion, and suggests that the her=
=3D
o
is in a sense being brought from the dead or reborn=3D2E


<<<William North is trying to overthrow the government, if not the whole
civilization=3D2E  He is all about Power=3D2E  He seems to be trying to cre=
ate=3D
 a
masculinist movement or subvert existing ones in order to shake things up=
=3D2E=3D

His taking on the name "William" may be an attempt on his part to lure the=
=3D

goddess into pistol range=3D2E  More than a rabble-rouser, more than an
iconoclast, he may be a wannabe goddess-killer=3D2E>>

Interesting take that North is not really Wiliam, but takes it on to lure
the goddess=3D2E  I do like your reasoning though, but am not sure how he w=
o=3D
uld
know the goddess likes Bills=3D2E

<<In making this choice, while he is being true to himself and his dream, =
=3D
he
is also paradoxically conforming to Overworld: where men die for Love=3D2E>=
>=3D


I'm not sure why he would die=3D2E  He can have sexual relations with a wom=
a=3D
n
and live even in the other world -- Fanny herself remarked as such=3D2E  So=
 =3D
why
would it be death to follow the goddess?  I have only read TAD once but
must have missed that part, I trust your keen eye to have picked it up but=
=3D

where is this reference?



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