From: "Greene, Carlton" <CGreene2@hunton.com>
Subject: RE: (urth) Pelagianism
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 12:36:43 

Perhaps Severian is Pelagic in the sense that mankind's savoir achieves
salvation for himself and Urth by an act of free will -- renouncing the life
of cruelty and decadence represented by his guild and choosing mercy.  This
is apparent in the test of Yesod as well, which turns not on faith in the
Increate, but one man's personal spiritual accomplishments during his
lifetime.

Given the other meaning of Pelagic, perhaps it is no surprise that some of
the moments when Sev fights internal moral battles over what kind of person
he will be take place in deep water (I am referring in particular to his
colloquies with the undines in books 1 and 4 (I think)).  

Carlton





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