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<font size=3>At 11:37 PM 4/4/2007, Roy wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">James B. Jordan wrote:<br>
>I was struck by the fact that Wolfe makes himself the godplaying
dead<br>
>man. It would be easy to have the statue be that of "Richard
Nixon"<br>
>or "Hitler" or someone else, but Wolfe takes upon himself
the role of<br>
>god-playing tyrant. He seems to be saying that he's as
potentially<br>
>evil as anyone else. Salvation is only by grace, as the prayers
and<br>
>title indicate.<br><br>
Seeing the statue of the "Founder" in a fake paradise as
representing Wolfe<br>
has an obvious appeal, but . . . what about the larger part of the
story,<br>
the relationships among the four main characters? The memorials aren't
built<br>
by those they honor; they are built by the dead person's<br>
relatives/followers. If Wolfe is the honored dead, who built the memorial
--<br>
and why?</font></blockquote><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Is it
always the case that memorials are built by others? I'll have to reread
this soon -- wanted to let it sit for a couple of weeks first. But if so,
then Wolfe is saying something about how a man's work is often perverted
by his disciples.<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=3>The fake paradise
is shown to be foul and diseased by the neutral eye of the<br>
camera. Only the glamour cast over the people who go there, the
rose-colored<br>
view, permits them to see that world as much better than it really is.
If<br>
Wolfe sees himself as the giant bronze lord of such a sorry realm, what
is<br>
he saying about his legacy? More to the point; what is he saying about
you<br>
and me and the rest of the faithful readers of his
fantasies?</font></blockquote><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Given some
of the weird misreadings that Wolfe has received, maybe he IS saying
something about "us." :-( Or about some of us anyway.<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=3>March thought that
the statue of the Founder looked like his father. Penny<br>
(Robin) thought it looked like her grandfather. If Wolfe was the
Founder,<br>
who are March and Sue/Robin/Penny?</font></blockquote><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Assuming
Wolfe as Founder (which I've assumed, though of course that's debatable I
guess), then they are either characters or else descendants analogous to
the Numbered folk in *5th Head.* Or possibly readers. <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>BTW:<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>Sue, from Susan -
Susannah = Hebrew lily vegetable<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>Robin = bird
animal<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>Penny =
mineral<br>
Something's going on there. I can see Penny as the name she has in a
realm ruled over by a metal man. Susannah was falsely accused of adultery
and defended by Daniel -- I gather Sue was really guilty, she wanted
reconciliation. <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>FWIW.<br>
<br>
Nutria<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=3>-Roy<br><br>
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</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
James B. Jordan<br>
Director, Biblical Horizons<br>
Box 1096<br>
Niceville, FL 32588<br>
<a href="http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.biblicalhorizons.com</a></font></body>
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