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From: "Talarican" <exultnttalarican at mindspring.com>
III:XXXIII At Castle Baldanders, when Famulimus and Barbatus set Sev straight regarding their lifespan, Baldanders interjects with "These things live only a score of years, like dogs". His tone "told [Sev] more than is written here, for each word fell like a stone dropped down some deep
cistern". Aside from the contempt obvious in B's choice of words, what did his tone convey to Severian?
This one at least seems fairly clear. Baldanders' goal is, on more than one occasion, stated to be eternal life. Famulimus and Barbatus have "awesome cosmic power" but very short lifespans. Baldanders thinks they've completely missed the point.
Recall that there is a certain strain of C. S. Lewis in the hierodules' attitudes: Lewis believed (or at least wrote, in Out of the Silent Planet) that space colonization and the desire for immortality were sins. Baldanders embodies one of these sins, Typhon both; the cacogens neither. Their humility is certainly presented as a positive thing, contrasting with Baldanders' creepy Dr. Frankenstein-ish experiments (not unlike those in
That Hideous Strength) and later, Typhon's equally nasty attempt at eternal life.
Have you ever noticed that none of Wolfe's space colonies seem to be very happy places? (Then again, I suppose none of Wolfe's places seem to be very happy.)
Dave Lebling
(aka vizcacha)