Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 16:41:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jerry Friedman 
Subject: Re: (urth) 5HC a good introduction to wolfe? (was Washington  Post article)


--- John Barach  wrote:
...

> You'll find the arguments at Robert Borski's Cave Canem webpage
> (http://webpages.charter.net/rborski/number5.html).  I note, though,
> that he says "Number Five's name is the male equivalent of Jeannine or
> Jean/Gene."  I'm not sure that "Jean" and "Gene" are really equivalents,
> since "Gene" is short for "Eugene" and "Jean" (French) is the English
> "John."
> 
> But I note with interest that (according to "'A Story,' by John V.
> Marsch") on Sainte Anne, all boys are named "John."
> 
>    ... his mother called him John (which only signifies "a man,"
>    all boy children being named *John*) Eastwind (Ace, p. 84).
> 
> If Number Five's name is the French male equivalent of Jeanette, then
> he's called Jean, the English of which is John -- the standard name for
> any boy on the neighbouring planet, and also the name of John V. Marsch.
> Interesting, I said to myself, but significant...?
> 
> Speaking of which, is there some significance to "Marsch"?

A connection to the marshmen?

> I note that
> John Eastwind and John Sandwalker in "A Story" are named after
> circumstances connected with their birth.  And what is John V. Marsch's
> middle name?

Victor?  Borski speculates that Victor R(oy?) Trenchard added the
middle initial after killing the real Marsch and assuming his
identity.

Speaking of names, Borski doesn't mention that in _Zen and the
Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ "Phaedrus" is said to mean "wolf",
which would be strong support for his theory that Phaedria is Number
Five's half-sister.  (However, according to
, that etymology
is not true.  Has this stuff all been discussed?)

Jerry Friedman

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