New Poster: Nettle theory

Alan Lewis · 13 May 2003, 04:57 · from urth-v0305.mbox · original
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From: "Alan Lewis" <alanarc at frontiernet.net>
Subject: (urth) New Poster: Nettle theory
Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 00:57:04 -0400
Message-ID: <urth-v0305-3416 at digest.urth.net>
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Hello one and all,

I have long been a fan of Gene Wolfe, but happened upon this list only =
recently when I decided to see what the net had to offer on the best =
living sf writer.  As it happens, I've only recently completed the Short =
Sun Series, as I decided to wait until they were all written until I =
bought them.  And then once I had them all I still hesitated, one of the =
reasons being the cover art which I found embarassing (and having read =
them, it's doubly embarassing to have them contain such stupid =
inaccuracies as well, but that's a whole other discussion).  Now I have =
spent many many hours reading the archives of this list to "catch up" =
somewhat, and though I did not read all the postings or even half, I'm =
ready to jump in.  First let me say congratulations on the friendly and =
fascinating exchange that takes place here -- as others have commented, =
I feel I know much about many of you.

I have a bunch I wish to discuss about Short Sun, but I want to start =
with a simple point, which I wonder if I will get anyone to agree with =
me on.  Almost everyone has wondered why in the Outsider's name Nettle =
would go if into the Long Sunset with Silkhorn and Seawrack.  My =
solution is simply this: she didn't.

Of course, part of why I believe this is I found it so hard to believe =
myself that she would go on this trip.  But there's more.  Here is the =
quotation from Whorl:

"They are in it, I hope, he and his eerie young woman, Nettle, the old =
sybyl, and their bird. . . ."

Now of course the standard reading of this line is that the commas =
separate the different items on a list, and thus Nettle is a passenger.  =
However, when the Narrator has been writing this book he has been doing =
so in a certain style, for an audience of one much of the time, that =
being Nettle.  It becomes a convention of style, like the Victorian =
always referring to Dear Reader.  Many times in this series the Narrator =
will say something like: And then this happened, Nettle, and then that.  =
Even though we may presume this particular section was written by =
Daisey, and even though none of the other 3rd person sections have this =
quality that I recall, I propose that at the end of the book the =
question of just who is speaking has become confused, like identity in =
so many other places in this series (and to me is the major theme of =
Short Sun, as I hope to eluciadate at greater length later).  Thus the =
style of the Narrator who addresses his words to Nettle has creeped in.  =
Under this theory the line is read as the equivalent of: "these are the =
people who went, Nettle."  In other words, the line is addressed to =
Nettle, though she is not part of the list.  In support of this is the =
fact that hers is the only name given, which otherwise seems odd. =20

This actually was the way I made sense of this line on my first reading =
of it, although I did re-read it a few times and see that Wolfe had been =
very mischevious and ambigiuous -- qualities which he exhibits quite a =
bit, no?

As to possible objections to this theory (other than it calling for a =
non-standard reading of the line), one of the main ones occurs on the =
page before where Nettle SEEMS to be making her goodbyes to her family =
-- or is she?  Here is the passage:

"We will sail tonight," he told me.  "Would you be willing to make my =
farewells to Hoof and Hide?  Nettle is making her own, and cannot be =
bothered with mine."

Now here is some room for ambiguity as well.  The standard reading would =
probably be that Nettle is making her farewells to Hoof and Hide, so has =
no time (or inclination?) to pass on "his" farewell.  However, it could =
be that Nettle is "making" her farewell to this fellow, because she's =
not going with him, and has no time to pass on messages.  And what might =
she be making?  How about another copy of the Book of Silk, which we =
know she did in the past, and that Horn treasured mightily.  And/or a =
copy of that portion of the Short Sun as the Narrator wrote it out.  =
Just a thought.

Alan Lewis


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Hello one and all,
 
I have long been a fan of Gene Wolfe, =
but happened=20
upon this list only recently when I decided to see what the net had to =
offer on=20
the best living sf writer.  As it happens, I've only recently =
completed the=20
Short Sun Series, as I decided to wait until they were all written until =
I=20
bought them.  And then once I had them all I still hesitated, one =
of the=20
reasons being the cover art which I found embarassing (and having read =
them,=20
it's doubly embarassing to have them contain such stupid inaccuracies as =
well,=20
but that's a whole other discussion).  Now I have spent many many =
hours=20
reading the archives of this list to "catch up" somewhat, and though I =
did not=20
read all the postings or even half, I'm ready to jump in.  First =
let me say=20
congratulations on the friendly and fascinating exchange that takes =
place here=20
-- as others have commented, I feel I know much about many of =
you.
 
I have a bunch I wish to discuss about =
Short Sun,=20
but I want to start with a simple point, which I wonder if I will get =
anyone to=20
agree with me on.  Almost everyone has wondered why in the =
Outsider's name=20
Nettle would go if into the Long Sunset with Silkhorn and =
Seawrack.  My=20
solution is simply this: she didn't.
 
Of course, part of why I believe this =
is I found it=20
so hard to believe myself that she would go on this trip.  But =
there's=20
more.  Here is the quotation from Whorl:
 
"They are in it, I hope, he and his =
eerie young=20
woman, Nettle, the old sybyl, and their bird. . . ."
 
Now of course the standard reading of =
this line is=20
that the commas separate the different items on a list, and thus Nettle =
is a=20
passenger.  However, when the Narrator has been writing this book =
he has=20
been doing so in a certain style, for an audience of one much of the =
time, that=20
being Nettle.  It becomes a convention of style, like the Victorian =
always=20
referring to Dear Reader.  Many times in this series the Narrator =
will say=20
something like: And then this happened, Nettle, and then that.  =
Even though=20
we may presume this particular section was written by Daisey, and even =
though=20
none of the other 3rd person sections have this quality that I recall, I =
propose=20
that at the end of the book the question of just who is =
speaking has=20
become confused, like identity in so many other places in this series =
(and to me=20
is the major theme of Short Sun, as I hope to eluciadate at greater =
length=20
later).  Thus the style of the Narrator who addresses his words to =
Nettle=20
has creeped in.  Under this theory the line is read as the =
equivalent of:=20
"these are the people who went, Nettle."  In other words, the line =
is=20
addressed to Nettle, though she is not part of the list.  In =
support of=20
this is the fact that hers is the only name given, which otherwise seems =

odd.  
 
This actually was the way I made sense =
of this line=20
on my first reading of it, although I did re-read it a few times and see =
that=20
Wolfe had been very mischevious and ambigiuous -- qualities which he =
exhibits=20
quite a bit, no?
 
As to possible objections to this =
theory (other=20
than it calling for a non-standard reading of the line), one of the main =
ones=20
occurs on the page before where Nettle SEEMS to be making her goodbyes =
to her=20
family -- or is she?  Here is the passage:
 
"We will sail tonight," he told =
me.  "Would=20
you be willing to make my farewells to Hoof and Hide?  Nettle is =
making her=20
own, and cannot be bothered with mine."
 
Now here is some room for ambiguity as =
well. =20
The standard reading would probably be that Nettle is making her =
farewells to=20
Hoof and Hide, so has no time (or inclination?) to pass on "his" =
farewell. =20
However, it could be that Nettle is "making" her farewell to this =
fellow,=20
because she's not going with him, and has no time to pass on =
messages.  And=20
what might she be making?  How about another copy of the Book of =
Silk,=20
which we know she did in the past, and that Horn treasured =
mightily. =20
And/or a copy of that portion of the Short Sun as the Narrator wrote it=20
out.  Just a thought.
 
Alan Lewis</BODY></HTML>

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