Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 23:08:00 +1000
From: Che Monro 
Subject: (urth) Botanical Gardens

Wise Ones:

The Botanical Gardens in Shadow of the Torturer was one of the more=20
mysterious locations visited. It was not revealed whether the visitor=20
travelled through time and space in the various exhibits, or whether they=20
were in fact some kind of cunning and deceptive recreation of other times=20
and places.

Either explanation would seem to be possible, given textual evidence, which=
=20
is, no doubt, deliberately ambiguous.

What interests me is the people who get "lost" in the exhibits and become=20
part of them. Severian recounts that he feels particularly at home and=20
"part of" one barren, rocky and seemingly empty exhibit. Assuming that all=
=20
of the exhibits are of real places and times, I wonder which place and time=
=20
it is that Severian is attracted to.

It's my belief that knowing this would possibly be another significant clue=
=20
to his character and symbolic meaning.

Che

Ch=E9 Franz Joseph Monro -- http://www.chemonro.com
che@chemonro.com    --     flirt@technologist.com



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