(urth) Sham War

[Paul B]

On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 9:28 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> >Dave Lebling: I'm curious why you believe the war with Ascia was a sham.
> Is this
> >something you've posted about in the past?
>
> Not sure if I've posted on it in the past. I know some others have alluded
> to
> similar ideas.
>
> The reason for thinking it, in small part, is because Father Inire, the old
> Autarch
> and even the Cumaean describe how they are playing for both sides of the
> conflict.
>
> But the larger part comes from the comment the old Autarch makes to
> Severian before
> he hands over the reins of power. He asks if Severian would prefer to
> command the
> Ascian army. Or both armies. I take this, if not a sincere offer, as a
> truly possible
> suggestion of something that could happen. A way of hinting to Severian
> that not all
> is as it seems.
>
> Both Vodalus and Tzadkiel make reference to Severian's life being like a
> chess game,
> Vodalus discussing the dark and light sides, Tzadkiel mentioning the
> limitations of
> pawns. One of the Pelerines suggests to severian that much more is going on
> than a
> battle between good and evil.
>
> My interpretation is that the on- and off-screen powers are playing a chess
> game here. Perhaps the same power is playing both sides. The outcome
> doesn't matter.
> The purpose of the game is to test the players under game conditions...one
> player in
> particular. I see a similar situation in regard to the conflicts on
> Tzadkiel's ship
> and Yesod.
>
> --
>
> For some reason I am reminded of Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, where
> the main
> character (an unpleasant guy) descends into mental illness as he becomes
> convinced
> he is the only human being on earth and all other people are robots sent to
> test him.
> At the end, he meets his Creator (Kurt Vonnegut jr. of course) in a bar and
> it all
> becomes very autobiographical and sad.
>
> I have to guess Gene Wolfe also has felt that powerful dark and light
> forces have been
> testing him his whole life. I'd guess he has dealt with them a little more
> consciously
> and knowledgeably than Severian though on a less cosmic level. But this and
> others of
> his work (Peace, surely) are his artistic way of expressing his
> tribulations and trials
> of life.
>
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-- 
Paul Borochin
PhD student, Fuqua School
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