(urth) Fiction, halves, twins

[Gwern Branwen]

On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 10:00 PM, David Stockhoff
<dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:
> A few guesses at connections to the Arcana, based entirely on Dave Tallman's
> chapter descriptions:
>
> 15: "Women" and 30: "Freedom!"
> 15 is to Shell. 30 is from Millie.
> Common features: in 15 Bax mentions his two lovers. In 30 Millie hints that
> she doesn't love George and she wants Bax.
>
> Temperance: Moderation or a compromise is required
>
> ...................
>
> 13: "Mouthpiece" and 32: "A Request"
> 13 is from Shell. 32 is from Shell.
> Common feature: both are from Shell, offering advice.
>
> Hanged Man: Inaction
>
> ....................
>
> 8: "The Good Boy" and 37: "The Challenge"
> 8 is to George. 37 is from George.
> Common feature: fights between brothers. In 8 is the introduction of the
> conflict between Emlyn and Ieuan. In 37 is a death challenge from George to
> Bax.
>
> Chariot: Conquest, pride
>
> ....................
>
> 3: "From One Big House to Another" and 42: "A Terrible Mistake"
> 3 is to Shell. 4 is from Doris.
> Common feature: the house. 3 mentions the house to Shell for the first time.
> In 42 Doris visits the house for the last time.
>
> Priestess: Otherworldliness, assuming the house is not really of this earth
>
> 2: "Your Brother" and 43: "Final Report"
> 2 is to George. 43 is from Madame Orizia
> Common feature: opening and closing business arrangements. In 2 Bax writes
> to George for the first time and asks for money. In 43 Madame Orizia writes
> to Bax for the last time and asks for money.
>
> Magician: a swindler?
>
> 1: "Your Old Cellmate" and 44: "Home!"
> Common feature: rags to riches. In 1 Bax has nothing and is trying to get
> money from George. In 44 Bax gets everything of George's including his
> identity and his wife.
>
> The Fool: is always a poor young man, an empty vessel to be filled with
> knowledge or riches
>
>
> This may not be a handy way to understand the story. Two obvious problems
> arise: (1) what Tarot interpretation is used? (2) is it applied in a "high"
> or "low" style? For deep meaning or jokey convenience? You can't tell with
> Wolfe.
>
> We also don't know whether a card is to be read straight or reversed. In
> short, you'll need to know both the Tarot and the story well to get much out
> of it.
> However, we know Wolfe knows everything there is to know about classical
> gods and goddesses. I'd assume he would follow, for example, the High
> Priestess as Isis and the Empress as Venus/Demeter rather than some new-agey
> interpretation.

While thinking about these connections, I thought to myself, what
evidence do we have that Wolfe is even familiar with the Tarot? None
of these connections seem especially insightful or interesting, and as
you point out there are many free variables.

Then I remembered Wolfe's poem, 'The Computer Iterates The Greater
Trumps'. It's become surprisingly difficult to find, but is in Google
Books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vy9L08MQKkIC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=computer+iterates+the+greater+trumps&source=bl&ots=gicT5e7-jF&sig=52kOAz3qvf29tUPMhZaKJvjkQOg&hl=en&ei=cZrXS-PEI4P88AbhzsTmBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12&ved=0CDAQ6AEwCw#v=onepage&q&f=false

Anyhoo, in that poem, Wolf enumerates the Trumps backwards from 21
(Universe) to 0 (Fool).

-- 
gwern