Silkhorn^H^H^H^H and Severian

Michael Straight · 01 Jun 2001, 08:54 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: (whorl) Silkhorn^H^H^H^H and Severian
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 08:54:51
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0789 at digest.urth.net>
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On Thu, 31 May 2001, Jerry Friedman wrote:

> There's a strong objection to this speculation: the
> transformation happens at the wrong time.  We might
> have expected it at Silkhorn's first meeting with
> Severian (Chap. 13), or failing that, when he dreams
> of
> Severian (Chap. 15), or at their last meeting, but not
> in between.

Silk isn't whole when he's astrally traveling - he's separated from his
body.  So it's reasonable that any healing that Severian initiates might
not bear fruit until after Silk's soul is reunited with his body.

And then, on Thu, 31 May 2001, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

> (H'mmm.  If Sev is sort-of-kind-of Jesus, and Silk is sort-
> of-kind-of Moses, then can this be a sort-of-kind-of
> Transfiguration, a fancy name for the scene in the Gospels
> where Peter sees Jesus chatting with his old pals Moses and
> Abraham...?  Naaaaaah...)=20

I have to admit I kinda like this, but it would work better if Silk met
Severian just before he left for Yesod.

> > Does Severian by his mere presence resurrect Silk?
>
> I find this highly dubious for half a dozen reasons; the most
> important of which: I think Silk is neither more nor less dead
> at the end of _RttW_ than he is when the Narr first takes up
> his pen in Gaon. The "climax" of _RttW_ is not a resurrection
> but a recognition, and what is recognized is something that the
> Narr has been trying very hard not to see since long before he
> began astrally travelling to Green, let alone Urth.=20
                =20
I agree it's overstating things to say Silk is resurrected, but I think
you could say he has been healed in some way.  And Severian is definitely
able to heal people.

-Rostrum

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