From: "Tony Ellis" <tony.ellis@futurenet.co.uk>
Subject: (urth) re: Death, Memory, Ghosts, Resurrection
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 13:37:14 +0100

Mantis wrote:

> In several essays and countless conversations, people have wondered "Why
> Severian? What qualifies him?"
>
Am I the only person who feels that we don't need to ask this one? :-)
For me, any explanation begins and ends with the words of Master
Malrubius, when he tells Severian "In you all the divergent tendencies
of our race may have achieved synthesis." [Citadel, XXXI]. A peculiarly
eloquent, concise, classically Wolfean sentence, and one that has popped
into my mind at the oddest moments over the years.

That being said, I still found mantis's musing on Memory
thought-provoking. I've been waiting for someone to suggest that
Severian's memory qualifies him to bring the New Sun because it was what
tipped the balance in the battle on Yesod, that his superior
recollection led to the creation of superior - or more numerous -
allies, and thus victory. Or has this already been suggested?


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