(urth) Wolfe: Misogynist Or Realist?

[Matthew King]

On Oct 17, 2006, at 6:13 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

> H'mmm. Yes, my reading of Card is all quite early -- I think
> the last one I read was "Wyrms." I'm pretty sure I remember
> castration as theme in "Hart's Hope" and "Songmaster" --
> I may have the title there a bit off.

In _Songmaster_ you might say the main character is psychologically  
castrated:  part of the training of the Songbirds is a conditioning  
against orgasm, resulting in some sort of violent, painful reaction.   
The confused young man who initiates a sexual encounter with the  
Songbird is physically castrated (and IIRC, lobotomized) as a  
punishment.

Castration is a punishment offered in _Hart's Hope_, but I don't  
recall it being thematic in any way.