(urth) Silk corrupted?

[Dan'l Danehy-Oakes]

On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 3:45 PM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:
> These are 2 separate ideas: (1)
>
> What is key here is that we are interpreting a work by a writer who
> takes the position that Jesus was a unique historical figure, the sole
> Theoanthropos and Redeemer, an event which will not and *can* not
> be repeated. This is *Wolfe's* position,
> and
> (2)
>
> to interpret his work in a way that violates this position is to do that
> work a violence which I cannot condone.
>
> _I_ do not _accept_ Wolfe's position. I _acknowledge_ Wolfe's position. This
> is my point.

We are in agreement so far. It is necessary, in interpreting Wolfe's
work, to acknowledge his positions. To do otherwise is to
wilfully misinterpret.

> And it hardly does violence to anything except certain people's
> assumptions---which I reject _as assumptions_. Especially assumptions to be
> forced on the debate as though they were _facts_. Do you see the difference?

I do indeed. It is an *assumption* (or a belief) that Jesus is the unique
etc. It is a *fact* that Wolfe takes this assumption as a starting point
for his work. This fact should always be taken into account when
interpreting relevant aspects of his work.

As a result, it is legitimate to say that Severian is "Christ-like," but
not to say that he is "a Christ." The former fits the writer's
intent and assumptions; the latter does not. Unless you take an
extreme postmodernist "death of the author" point of view -- with
which I have very little sympathy, though I _do_ believe that the
text is the text and the author is not a privileged interpreter --
anyway, unless you take that position, saying that Severian is
"a Christ" is precisely what I say: a violence against Wolfe's work.

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
-----
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
http://www.danehyoakes.com

I once absend-mindedly ordered Three Mile Island dressing in a
restaurant and, with great presence of mind, they brought Thousand
Island Dressing and a bottle of chili sauce. -- T. Pratchett