Introduction and Questions

Che Monro · 03 Mar 2003, 03:48 · from urth-v0303.mbox · original

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From: Che Monro <flirt at technologist.com>
Subject: (urth) Introduction and Questions
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 14:48:54 +1100
Message-ID: <urth-v0303-3000 at digest.urth.net>
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1. Introduction

I am new here. My name is Che Monro, you can find a picture and some=3D20
details about me at http:\\www.chemonro.com .

In order to communicate successfully, it seems to me that it is necessary=
=3D20
for the question and answers and statements of a dialogue to be understood=
=3D
=3D20
and to mean the same thing to both parties. Although I will admit that=3D20
while unintentional mistakes in meaning can be funny and enjoyable, usually=
=3D
=3D20
they are a pain.

To this end I intend to give you some information about me so that you can=
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=3D20
formulate your responses in a way which you feel will be easy and simple=3D=
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for me to understand, and which, I hope, will give me enjoyment and=3D20
interest. Alternatively you can use the information to formulate answers=3D=
20
which will be deliberately incomprehensible and painful, I can't stop you=
=3D20
from doing this, but I tend to ignore messages that I don't understand=3D20
because I'm not receiving any advantage or enjoyment from them. My=3D20
apologies in advance if your conversation proves impossible for me, I=3D20
promise to do my best.

Therefore:

I'm male, 32 from Australia, where I have lived all my life. I am neither a=
=3D
=3D20
crypto-mormon, a Chem or a being from either or any dimension. My=3D20
personality is quiet, respectful and peace seeking, with a wicked sense of=
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=3D20
humor. I am mentally ill - I suffer from depression and anxiety, brought on=
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=3D20
by stress. My tendency both conscious and unconscious is to avoid stress=3D=
20
and conflict at all costs. Peace, happiness and calm, and dark melancholia,=
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=3D20
these are the air I breathe. Plus gently satirical humor.

My mother was raised Catholic, and I'm familiar with Christian philosophy.=
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I've made some informal studies of Eastern religions. I don't know much=3D20
about the Aztec or South American cultures.

As a reader I'm both lazy and thoughtful. Lazy in that I don't put a great=
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=3D20
deal of effort into unravelling details and puzzles, and thoughtful in that=
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I obsess over connections and spiritual/symbolic links and unities. I=3D20
prefer to read more for feeling than for "pointless" detail.

Thus, I'm not interested in the color of the ships of the Pelagic Argosy,=
=3D20
or whether they were powered by rockets, light sails, or oars. I don't=3D20
really care how many alternate Severians were are in TBOTNS, or who's faces=
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are seen where or in what mirror. Cunning little paradoxes and puzzles are=
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pretty, but I'm interested in the shades and feelings of the deep dankness=
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=3D20
behind and between the pages of the book.

Ferinstance: I love Dorcas for her purity and innocence, and I love=3D20
Severian's love of her feel the pain of his faithfulness and faithlessness=
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of his relationship to her. The way he saved her and was unable to save=3D20
her, this moved me. As such I am interested in her. Was she Severian's=3D20
mother? Did Silk and Co Materialize near her house in RTTW? Why? Is she=3D20
related to Silk too?

Such questions interest me much more than the details of the particular=3D20
circular time-path used by the Claw of the Conciliator to reach the moment=
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=3D20
of her resurrection, although it's movements are arguably more fantastic=3D=
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than her character. However I'm interested in even the trival details of=3D=
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Dorcas's existance because of all the women in TBOTNS I love her the most.

I guess that my obsessions/interests in Wolfe's work are perhaps unique and=
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individual, that's why I chose to talk about myself here, to give you a=3D20
guide to my feelings so that you could slant your answers in that=3D20
direction. More about feelings and relationships, less about details and=3D=
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parallel universes and Big Questions, please.

2. Questions:

Two things have puzzled me greatly about Wolfe's work.

2a. The Fifth Head of Cerebus. I never understood this story at all. Who's=
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=3D20
a clone of who? What service does the house provide, just what's going on=
=3D20
here? Lovely story, but I can't make head or tale of it. Classic Wolfe,=3D
 that.

2b. I read somewhere recently that the lies Severian tells are critical to=
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understanding some of the mystery of TBOTNS. I've tried searching for lies=
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=3D20
on the list without notable success. There is a lies listing somewhere? I=
=3D20
would like to read this.

I'd like to find out what important lies Severian tells. I'm not interested=
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in cute or trivial lies - whether he went to a whorehouse once or many=3D20
times, whether he ever went back to a river or not, they don't seem very=3D=
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important unless I'm mistaken. But, Severian doesn't feel like a liar to=3D=
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me, So, there must be reasons or feelings behind his lies. It's said he=3D20
lied about how he came to power, yet, why? Did he do something terrible?=3D=
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He's told us honestly about many terrible things that he's done, so what's=
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=3D20
he so ashamed of that he would lie to us? I'd like to know what Severian=3D=
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lie about, and why.

Thank You,

Che

Ch=3DE9 Franz Joseph Monro -- http://www.chemonro.com
che at chemonro.com    --     flirt at technologist.com

--=20

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