From: "Chris" 
Subject: Re: (urth) stealing apu punchau
Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2003 17:53:24 +0000

I think this is practically explicit in the text, though I don't recall if 
it's been brought up here. It also fits in neatly with the qabbalistic 
references Wolfe uses (though I have come to accept that these are not as 
important as I originally thought, at least to Wolfe). Just to play the 
devil's advocate for a second, however, it always struck me as a little odd 
that Severian did not seem to understand the destruction he'd be bringing 
for such a long time. If he was to be an unconscious agent, then it wouldn't 
be all that important that he be a torturer. I suppose it is also possible 
that he understood but did not understand why anyone would care, which seems 
a bit naive even for Sev.

Chris

>One interesting possibility as to why Severian is successful in bringing 
>the New Sun is that he IS a professional torturer, or at least still has 
>the mind-set and sensibility of a professional torturer.  I feel this is 
>crucial to his task.  Bringing the New Sun requires the destruction of the 
>Old Urth, and only a professional torturer would have the necessary 
>equanimity.  New to the list, I wonder if anyone else has mentioned that 
>only he can bring the New Sun BECAUSE he has been a torturer.
>
>--Don Palumbo
>
>At 09:17 PM 7/8/03 -0500, James Jordan wrote:
>
>>>Because I have a hard time envisioning the Claw as either a dumb object 
>>>or
>>>as a mere "focus" for Severian's current/latent power, I tend to think
>>>(insist) that the Claw is the (hologramic, fragmentary; blood magic)
>>>presence of the "first Severian" that Severian is referring to in the
>>>passage: that is, the first Severian who, I believe we are told, did 
>>>=not=
>>>possess the Claw.
>>>
>>>In this manner, by granting/denying miraculous powers at various 
>>>junctures
>>>(revive this dead, fail to revive that one; cast a light now; etc.), the
>>>first Severian becomes, in part, author of the Severian we see.  Or
>>>semi-puppetmaster.
>>>
>>>=mantis=
>>
>>I'm confused. (duh! who isn't in these books?)
>>         Earlier Sevs did not have the  power to come back to life and to 
>>grant resuscitation. Our Sev did, and I've assumed this is part of why he 
>>could pass the test and bring/be the New Sun. I've assumed that a part of 
>>the SF aspect of the books, the Heirowhatevers prepared him as this 
>>person.
>>         I also assumed that the Claw was a kind of sacrament of our Sev, 
>>extending his power, derived from him, and hence not from any previous 
>>Sev.
>>         I guess I'm not understanding what you wrote. I await . . . 
>>enlightenment.
>>
>>Pat. Nut.
>>
>>
>>--
>
>
>--

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