(urth) Appearances of Inire

[Ryan Dunn]

On Jun 28, 2010, at 2:28 PM, Lee Berman wrote:

> He is old, bent, hangs out in the right place


Yes!

My whole take on Inire, is that he is something of a puppetmaster. We get an in-depth story from Thecla about Inire's mirrors, and how he is a master of the corridors of time. We also get plenty allusion that Severian lives in parallel timelines, none more evident than as Apu Punchau.

The motivation, IMO, would be for Inire and perhaps Severian to be in collusion in trying to shape the Severian (that we follow in BotNS) to become the New Sun. If at first you don't succeed...

Also, if there are seven Severians or more floating around Urth and beyond, and Inire was the master who taught him (assumption) why couldn't there be a dozen or more Inire's coexisting? Why COULDN'T he be more than one character in disguise? I always felt Ossipago and Palaemon to be OBVIOUSLY in disguise, and both VERY critical in setting Severian's course.

When I read the text with this in mind, all of the "coincidences" are suddenly justified and warranted, almost requisite. Also, when I read it this way, I feel like that "bubble" Severian is in, is very much intentional. It's sort of like Peter Weir's "Truman Show" with Jim Carrey, in a way. With Inire playing Ed Harriss's role.

I remember Severian senses a shadow of himself at the end of the book, when he returns to the Atrium of Time. As though the Severian from the beginning was only moments away, perhaps overlapping since time behaves weird there.

...ryan