(urth) Pike's ghost

[David Stockhoff]

On 11/29/2011 5:01 PM, Gerry Quinn wrote:
>
> > In this case there is a clear, easy to see connection between this 
> painting and Severian's
> > encounter with Typhon.
> There is zero connection. Typhon has an erection when he is excited by 
> the exercise of power. Porno-Pas has two erections in Blood’s 
> painting. But these have nothing in particular to do with one another. 
> Erections are not uncommon in hard-core pornographic images; it is 
> their absence that would be surprising.

I AM impressed!

Along these lines, I argue that Severian is not an important character 
and narrator in BNS. After all, novels usually have protagonists as well 
as narrators. It would be a poor novel that lacked either. Therefore, we 
should pay not attention to what Severian says or does.

Still, Gerry again has a point. The scene is in a brothel. It may well 
be *more* accurate a depiction in some ways than Campion's. But that's 
irony, not necessarily evidence of historical proximity.