<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">2006/8/19, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <<a href="mailto:danldo@gmail.com">danldo@gmail.com</a>>:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
On 8/19/06, <a href="mailto:junk06@amalar.com">junk06@amalar.com</a> <<a href="mailto:junk06@amalar.com">junk06@amalar.com</a>> wrote:<br>> Why? It smells of ham handedness, as someone mentioned recently.<br>> Anyone have theories as to why so many coincidences fill the series?
<br><br>I have two.<br><br>1. I'm pretty sure Wolfe is an admirer of Dickens. Dickens's plots are<br>utterly coincidence-driven. (E.g., the fellow who catches Oliver, but<br>not the Dodger, turns out to be his grandfather...) This doesn't bother
<br>his fans.<br><br>2. These are all signs of Divine Providence (or the guidance of the<br>Hier*s, aqastors, etc.) to make sure that Severian fulfills that destiny<br>(of which he already had some presentiment)</blockquote>
<div><br>I would also suggest that it serves to make the narrative seem dream-like.<br><br><br> // Jesper <br></div><br></div><br>