From: "Clifford Drane" <dranec@hotmail.com>
Subject: (urth) Dorcas
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 23:10:35 CDT

I wrote:

> Also, has Dorcas as a parallel to the Lady of the Lake been 
mentioned before? Severian grasps both her hand and the sword at the 
same time, almost like she gave it to him. Any thoughts about that?

Yikes. I just read the Lexicon Urthus entry about Terminus Est. Guess 
that idea had been bandied about before.

Also, to continue my ruminations about Dorcas being in stasis or 
actually dead, 'Charon' tells the group that "the water... pickles 
them." I guess that could mean it acts like formaldehyde (nothing 
could survive in that!) and simply preserves bodies. But the eyes 
popping open remark seems very important. Either she was so ill she 
was submerged by mistake, and the shock of the water woke her (then 
she drowned), or she was dumped by 'Charon'. It's also mentioned that 
bodies are weighed down with lead shot in the stomach, and the eyes 
glued shut. Dorcas never complained of being unusually heavy, and 
obviously her eyes weren't cememented shut. So, I guess her being in 
the lake IS indicative of foul play. How tragic. And 'Charon' seems 
full of remorse. What a beautiful little tragedy, one of many in 
TBOTNS.

Interestingly, it was pointed out to me today on the racquetball 
court by a friend who's reading TBOTNS (he just finished Shadow), 
that Dorcas, just after being resurrected, follows Severian like a 
dog (parallel to Triskele).

ccd

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