Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 11:25:22 -0600
From: James Jordan 
Subject: Re: (urth) Re: Hyacinth

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At 11:40 PM 2/6/2002, you wrote:

>Nice post, hartshorn. Which is to say that I too have thought about these
>things. How in the world could two so fundamentally different characters
>have found a way to get along? With Silk it would be the healing power of
>sex, but Hy is totally cynical about sex--mocking  With her, it would be
>sticking with power, but, as you point out, there's no power eventually.
>
>Well, Wolfe was wise to avoid trying to demonstrate the relationship--I
>don't think he could have.
>
>-alga

         Yes. I think one has to be mostly satisfied with the symbolic 
dimension, that Silk is like Christ and Hyacinth is like the wayward Bride 
of Christ, who is quite often a Harlot (as the book of Revelation has it). 
Another "bride of Silk" is Maytera Mint, whose gentle persuasive 
"evangelism for Silk" in *Exodus* relates to how the Church should behave 
toward her Husband.
         It would be interesting to re-read the four books and look 
carefully at all of "Silk's women" (Mucor, the mayteras, Hyacinth) and see 
how each in different ways might work with this theme, and perhaps how all 
taken together provide a rounded picture.  But Hyacinth does seem to be the 
"bride" who needs to be rescued, but who really does not want to be 
rescued. Yet, there may be more to her than that. It may be a load of guilt 
that keeps causing her to leave Silk. Perhaps we should have some sympathy 
for her.
         One theme in Wolfe, seen particularly in Severian, is that it 
takes a very long time to change one's upbringing and bad habits. 
Conversion reorients the heart, but changing the life is a long process. 
Perhaps Hyacinth is on such a journey. I thought she really loved Silk, but 
kept finding herself unworthy and thus would run away from him. I guess I 
kind of liked her -- saw a bit of myself in her.
         But it's been a while since I read these books.

Nutria

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At 11:40 PM 2/6/2002, you wrote:


Nice post, hartshorn. Which is to
say that I too have thought about these

things. How in the world could two so fundamentally different
characters

have found a way to get along? With Silk it would be the healing power
of

sex, but Hy is totally cynical about sex--mocking  With her, it
would be

sticking with power, but, as you point out, there's no power
eventually.


Well, Wolfe was wise to avoid trying to demonstrate the
relationship--I

don't think he could have.


-alga


        Yes. I
think one has to be mostly satisfied with the symbolic dimension, that
Silk is like Christ and Hyacinth is like the wayward Bride of Christ, who
is quite often a Harlot (as the book of Revelation has it). Another
"bride of Silk" is Maytera Mint, whose gentle persuasive
"evangelism for Silk" in *Exodus* relates to how the Church
should behave toward her Husband. 

        It would
be interesting to re-read the four books and look carefully at all of
"Silk's women" (Mucor, the mayteras, Hyacinth) and see how each
in different ways might work with this theme, and perhaps how all taken
together provide a rounded picture.  But Hyacinth does seem to be
the "bride" who needs to be rescued, but who really does not
want to be rescued. Yet, there may be more to her than that. It may be a
load of guilt that keeps causing her to leave Silk. Perhaps we should
have some sympathy for her.

        One theme
in Wolfe, seen particularly in Severian, is that it takes a very long
time to change one's upbringing and bad habits. Conversion reorients the
heart, but changing the life is a long process. Perhaps Hyacinth is on
such a journey. I thought she really loved Silk, but kept finding herself
unworthy and thus would run away from him. I guess I kind of liked her --
saw a bit of myself in her.

        But it's
been a while since I read these books.


Nutria

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