Death of Jahlee

James Jordan · 17 Feb 2001, 13:02 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net>
Subject: (whorl) Death of Jahlee
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:02:51
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0261 at digest.urth.net>
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At 10:24 PM 2/11/2001 -0800, you wrote:
>The protagonist spends a lot of time treating inhumi as people and trying=20
>to see their point of view, even to the point of wanting to learn about=20
>their reproductive habits.  He must be the most sympathetic human the=20
>inhumi have encountered.  Then Jahlee tries to kill Nettle, and Juganu=20
>leads a war party against the protagonist, who doesn't hesitate to kill=20
>them in either case (although he seems to have some regret about Jahlee).
>
>I can't figure out whether these incidents represent the inhumi not being=20
>able to rise above their nature, or whether they are a consequence of=20
>their close imitation of humans.  Perhaps they imitate humans in war as in=20
>love?

         Jahlee is in love with Horn. Nettle is her rival. She realizes=20
this when face to face with Nettle at last. Horn defends his wife, and=20
"goes too far." But that's reality.
         I believe that among the broad subtexts of the series is that Silk=20
is like Jesus and Horn is a bit like Paul. Humans are the Jews, and the=20
inhumi are the barbarians to whom Paul was sent. Yep, they are barbarians,=20
but the good news of human blood can make them into something else. The=20
blood of Christ transforms us. The body and blood of Silk are transforming=20
Horn. Human blood is transforming the inhumi. But you don't stop being a=20
barbarian overnight, especially when the "Jews" are really no better than=20
the "barbarians," a point that both Paul and Horn continually make. Both=20
must grow in "Silk-likeness." But it is "to the Jew first, and also to the=20
Greek" (Romans, chapter 1). Humans must be transformed so that the inhumi=20
can be.
         So, let's not be surprised if Jahlee's "sanctification" is=20
imperfect. Wolfe's characters are on the road to being better people, but=20
they are never perfect!
         But isn't there some awesome beauty in Jahlee's death? Dying in=20
Nettle's forgiving arms? Wanting to be human so much that she hates her=20
people and reveals the secret? Isn't this a good death, with penitence,=20
forgiveness, and hope for a happy afterlife?
         Read this section again, Alga. I thought it was both sad and=20
beautiful. It made me care for Jahlee more than ever. I think this=20
bittersweet end makes Jahlee more human, and more loveable, than if she had=20
just turned into a good person and lived happily ever after.

Patera Nutria


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