(urth) 5HC

[Lee]

>Richard Simon: The condition of the 'abos' on Ste. Anne and 

>Ste. Croix are respectively analogous to the condition of the

> victims of European colonization in, respectively, South and 

>North America. In Latin America, there has been considerable 

>interbreeding and assimilation between the native inhabitants 

>and their Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, and while social 

>distinctions in those countries still replicate ethnic ones, 

>the latter are not so clearly drawn or insisted upon any more. 

>In North America, there has probably been less interbreeding, 

>and certainly less assimilation, between the European settlers 

>and the slaves they imported to serve them. Ste. Croix is a 

>slaveholding society like the United States was before the Civil 

>War.


Excellent analysis Richard. This had been hovering at the edge of

my awareness for a while but you brought it to focus and nailed it 

perfectly.



>Gerry Quinn: I don't put any faith in......


Perfect word choice. Much of the debate here boils down to the

question of whether Gene Wolfe asks his readers to take leaps

of faith.