(urth) Thea's Identity

[Lee Berman]

> Horn is a jerk

>Antonio Pedro Marques: I'm not so sure. Morality is by definition local. 
>Horn has no qualms about telling us his unsavoury thoughts and deeds. 
>Neither has the latter narrator. We may not like all they do and wish, 
>but Horn seems a bit above the average (New) Vironese. And notice he and 
>Nettle stayed together for many years, and raised 3 children, only having 
>issues with one of them, the other two loving. It's no feat for a jerk.

This is my view of it also. Has there ever been a devoted, loving husband
and father who did not occasionally feel boredom or even resentment toward
his family? Who never got too involved in his own activities for a while? Who 
was never tempted by some young chippie? I think Wolfe pours his own heart into 
certain of his characters, perhaps most especially Weer and Horn. Perhaps the main 
point isn't that Horn is a jerk but that all men have a jerkish side to them. 
Naturally, this side will revel itself amidst the honesty demanded by a three 
novel-length story told in first person.