From: Dan Parmenter <dan@lec.com>
Subject: (urth) Re: Digest urth.v027.n009
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 10:23:19 

From: "Mark Millman" <Mark_Millman@hmco.com>

> " . . . when I was . . . a boy," says Jonas,
> whose father was a craftsman.
> 
> Poor Pinocchio!  He's a puppet again!
> 
> Mark Millman

Mantis and I speculated that Jonas is a literary combination of
Pinnochio (robot that becomes human) and the Steadfast Tin Soldier
(Jonas relates to Jolenta because he thinks they're in the same
condition, as when the STS sees the toy ballerina with her leg in the
air and thinks she's missing a leg).  The Jonas/Pinnochio thing is
emphasized by the Jonas = Jonah (a guy in a whale, just like
Pinnochio).  I've also wondered whether Wolfe ever saw Osamu Tezuka's
ASTRO BOY about a little robot boy who wants to be human.

BTW, have I ever mentioned that Jonas is probably my favorite
character in the series?  He's easily the most down-to-earth, despite
his own hassles.

Lex Shellac


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