Death of Jahlee

James Jordan · 19 Feb 2001, 09:37 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net>
Subject: Re: (whorl) Death of Jahlee
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 09:37:58
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At 10:02 PM 2/17/2001 -0600, Patera Bad Bunny wrote:
>James Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net> wrote:
>
> > I believe that among the broad subtexts of the series is that Silk
> > is like Jesus and Horn is a bit like Paul. Humans are the Jews, and the
> > inhumi are the barbarians to whom Paul was sent.
>. . .
> >        So, let's not be surprised if Jahlee's "sanctification" is
> > imperfect. Wolfe's characters are on the road to being better people, b=
ut
> > they are never perfect!
>
>I guess I don't see how the inhumi as a whole are "on the road to being
>better people."  If the inhumi are Gentiles, why are so few of them
>(possibly Krait and Jahle alone; would you also say Fava?) "converted."

         I don't see the humans "on the whole" becoming better people=20
either. I meant Wolfe's characters.
         But why not more inhumi? Well, I don't think the book of Acts or=20
Paul's history is the main grid of the trilogy. It looks to me more like a=20
Christianized Odyssey along with a medieval pilgrimage story (and I wonder=20
if there is some specific crusade or pilgrimage narrative that Wolfe had in=20
mind). I see the ripping out of eyes for others as a Pauline reference, as=20
well as the fact that Horn is the first to begin to see a "mission to the=20
inhumi." So, the "multitudes of gentiles" theme in Acts and the Epistles=20
may well be lacking. At the same time, however, it does appear that=20
multitudes of inhumi are wanting to become more human.
         The inhumi, however, are primarily our children. Like our=20
children, they mirror us. Thus, Krait and Jahlee are Horn's children. Also,=20
Horn does not like what he sees in Sinew precisely because Sinew mirrors=20
Horn to himself. This is precisely what humans don't like about the=20
inhumi-children: they mirror humanity to itself. That theme, I believe, is=20
the much larger and pervasive theme in the trilogy.
         Or so it seems to me today.

Patera Nut.


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