From: Michael Andre-Driussi <mantis@siriusfiction.com>
Subject: (urth) PEACE: prank and Purgatory
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 19:35:13 

Here's another thought on the reading of the coldhouse prank.

A reading that Weer is directly responsible for the prank would seem to be
at odds with a "Purgatory" reading of the novel, because while Weer is
clear about cause, effect, and aftermath with regard to Bobby Black, it
would seem that he is at least on the road to washing himself of that sin
committed as a child; yet the prank would be a sin committed as an adult,
and Weer is not yet even confessing it, let alone apologizing or atoning
for it.

Something else: Here's a touchstone which seems familiar, so maybe we've
already discussed it, but PEACE might also be seen as a sort of opposite of
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE; maybe we could call it, IT'S A WOEFUL AFTERLIFE <g>.
Both heroes stay in their hometowns their whole lives, but in contrast to
the movie, Weer is shown that his presence in the town doesn't really
matter much--things turn into Potterville (or whatever the dystopian
version of the town was called) because of his uncle, and he inherits it.

=mantis=


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