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<DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=thalassocrat08@gmail.com
href="mailto:thalassocrat08@gmail.com">Mr Thalassocrat</A> </DIV>
<DIV>>Wolfe takes the reader on the same kind of journey as Sev. He sets up
the form of the story to make it look like a tale about enlightenment and
the progression of a soul from lowest to highest, and what BOTNS/UOTNS shows is
how powerful such forms are. By the the end of UOTNS there is overwhelming
evidence to make the enlightenment reading completely untenable on any
"objective" grounds, but nevertheless for most readers it persists. "Tzadkiel"
remains somehow the agent of some greater good, Sev has somehow earned his role
of minor god to the remnants of destroyed Urth humanity, a grand (unknown) plan
progresses to a sanctified (but unkown) end.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>I remain 'loyal to the ship' on this one. One can
certainly question whether the negation of a black hole that was deliberately
put into the sun counts as a net benefit - but can we really defend the
moribund future of Master Ash compared to the new life of
Ushas, though indeed this new life must be born in
cataclysm?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It would, I think, be unfair to rely too much on
the author's statements on his intention, but it seems to me that they support
the conventional interpretation. Severian is 'a Christian figure' -
compare to Silk, who is 'a good man in a bad religion'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>But here is an obvious question which should have
an answer within the text: if your theory is correct, where in BotNS/UotNS is
the counterpart of The Outsider? And what Urthly presences/powers stand
against the New Sun? Vodalus? Who, Mr. Thallassocrat, is
standing for what you say is Good?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>- Gerry Quinn</FONT></DIV>
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