(urth) The mystery of the image of an astronaut cleaned by Rudesind

Jeff Wilson jwilson at io.com
Mon Jul 5 11:48:36 PDT 2010


On 7/5/2010 12:43 AM, Eugene Zaretskiy wrote:
> Saying that it proves Inire is guiding
> Severian seems ridiculous to me (and perhaps only me) since Rudesind's
> directions could have been obtained from anyone, and if Inire wanted
> to guide Severian in meaningful ways, there were many other, better
> opportunities to have done so. Why search for masks for the sake of
> masks?

There is a very strong mask motif in the BOTNS, so of course we look for 
a theme of multiple or at least dual identities that would be built or 
established with that motif. It's not the only theme that a mask motif 
could support, but others like a protective shell theme don't seem to 
apply - a couple of the earliest images in the book are the collapsed 
curtain wall and Eata slipping past the guards at the gate, if anything 
the BOTNS is about transgressing barriers....which disguises help you do 
as well.

And on his first appearance, Rudesind delivers directions that are *not* 
available from anyone, in fact the armigers deliberately misguide him 
and Rudesind literally sets him on the correct path. This is not the 
only path, as Rudesind admits the other way might let him make it to 
Ultan's study after more hours of walking. However, the directions given 
in his second appearance in the more dangerous proximity of the House 
Absolute are much more crucial.

Or is Rudesind's second appearance rather Inire's first appearance? I 
wasn't kidding about Rudesind being Father Inire's body double; it would 
be very handy to have an alter ego who *can* be in the same room with 
you at the same time, and the irony of a senile old man calling 
thousand-year-old Inire old and senile and fumblind with a cover story 
being commuted into a self-deprecating acknowledgment of his reputation 
and an admission that he's a complete deception is very Wolfean - and 
parallels Severian's disembly with Thais, Pega, and Odilo on the raft in 
URTH.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >



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