From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:33:27 +0000
Subject: Re: (urth) brief "purpose of Whorl" reply




On 12/12/2002 13:59:55 maa32 wrote:

>Recently, the interview in which Wolfe claimed that Blue and Green where
the
>destination of Typhon was put forth, and that his purpose was returning
man to
>the stars.  I don't think this destroys the Blue is Urth idea.  I have
always
>insisted that Typhon wanted to re-colonize, and that he knew that the
Urth was
>facing a calamity, and that he wanted his ship to return.  I think it
just
>returned much later in time than he planned, but still tried to drop off
a
>copy of Pas/Typhon to be worshipped on the "new" ancestral home of
mankind.
>THEN it continued on its way outward to the stars, as it left at the end,
>after insuring that Typhon (or at least some memory of him as Pas) was
left
>behind in the minds of the new inhabitants - self aggrandizement was
always
>his theme, and he wanted to leave a marker that would outlive and
immortalize
>him. Then mankind could go back out to the stars, after the plan of Pas
was
>fulfilled.  That's the best I can do now.

The problem with this is that the Typhon we see in tBotNS and mor
particularly tUotNS  wouldn't have thought this way.  He'd not have
considered that his plans would fail in such a way as need any future
proofing.  Even knowing that they once had, viz his conversation with
Severian.  "This time..." etc.

Typhon did no blieve in the concilator, or at last faced with an
identifiable individual did not believe in the future prophesied.

He also recognised that retreating to Earth/Urth had been an error.  His
regard for Urth was too low to make it credible that he would be concerned
with repopulating its future.

I also find it implausible that Typhon would have thought in terms of
memorials that would outlive and imortalise him.  His joining with Piaton
and his explanantion of it is unequivocal - Tyohon fully expected to
outlive all memorials.  Remember Woody Allen.

If the author is authoritive (and I might myself argue otherwise) then
you're caught.  I don't think it's necessary because the internal
coherence of the cycle itself requires Typhon to make an effort at
re-establishing Empire in real time, not some indeterminate future.  He
doesn't need to repopulate the galaxy - it's power and authority that he
wants.  Blue/Green colonised by a Pas worshiping population would assist
in that.



Matthew



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