Denial as a Literary Structure

Patrick O'Leary · 20 Apr 2001, 11:17 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: "Patrick O'Leary" <poleary at cecom.com>
Subject: (whorl) Re:Denial as a Literary Structure
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 11:17:50
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0667 at digest.urth.net>
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Adam wrote:

--------------- MESSAGE whorl.v012.n107.9 ---------------

From: Adam Stephanides <adamsteph at earthlink.net>
Subject: "Dangling" plot threads

>>So, if I'm correct, TBOTSS takes its place with PEACE as a radical
experiment with narrative: in this case, a psychological drama which must be
largely inferred from what the narrator leaves out.>>

A stunning post, that may provide a clue to the various vaguely unsatisfied
reactions that several here have expressed about RTTW : "muddled", "hurried=
,"
"Senile" "Sloppy."  I think this may have something to do with its difficul=
t and
frustrating narrative structure.

While we shouldn't worship of the text, (Torah, Torah, Torah) I think we ha=
ve
to give Wolfe the benefit of a doubt. (In my considered opinion
the man does not make aesthetic mistakes. He makes philosophical/ narrative
choices which we may or may not agree with, may or may not like, may or may=
 not
be moved by. And, of course, he makes typos. Errors of a different order.)

I agree with Adam because what's most striking to me about RTTW (and a grea=
t deal of Wolfe)
is what is missing. I muse at length about this defining literary tactic in=
 my essay on Wolfe
"If Ever A Wiz There Was" which appears in my latest book: OTHER VOICES, OT=
HER DOORS.

I think it may be important to ask: "What is missing from the text of the s=
hort sun books?"

Here are, to me, some provocative missing scenes. There must be more.

Silk/Horn's conversation with Chenille.

Silk/Horn's final confrontation with Sinew.

Silk/Horn's reunion talk with Nettle.

Most of Silk/Horn's adventures of Green.

Hyacinth's death.

As Adam said, each of these imply a level of psychic torment
that cannot be borne by the narrator.

So we have a story founded on a search for Hero/Saint by a very human man,
who becomes the Hero/Saint he sought.

The story is told after his transformation. He spends the bulk of the narra=
tive
oddly, in denial and guilt. Haunted by his new identity and his old sins--H=
is failure.

He is Horn denying his is Silk.

But, finally, we discover that he is Silk denying he is Silk.

What we take to be a story of a sinner who has reincarnated a Saint
and cannot bear the contrast between his soul's knowledge of goodness
and his failure to live up to that model--is actually a sleight of hand,
a narrative trick , a portrait of denial.

The Short Sun books (it occurs to me that Horn is Silk's "Shorter Son")
are actually the story of a Saint who is tormented by Sin, running from his
mission, denying his vocation, fleeing his Sainthood, who finally accepts h=
is sinful nature,
who embraces his humanity.

Horn saves Silk.

Just some thoughts.

Patrick O'leary

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