However, there is one vision that I cannot understand the significance of. During his initial enlightenment, Silk is shown "a dead woman in an alley off Silver Street, and the people of the quarter," and a moment later "the dead woman seemed to stir, rags fluttering in the hot wind born halfway 'round the whorl" (Nightside 7-8). He mentions this vision of a dead woman some time later when describing his enlightenment to Doctor Crane: "There was a dead woman who had been left in an alley, and Patera Pike, and it was all connected, as if they were pieces of something larger" (Lake 490).
I've been trying to figure out the significance of this "dead woman in an alley" for some time—a few days ago I posted a message on the Urth.net mailing list, but no reply just yet. Anyone have any idea what this could mean? It's driving me nuts!
EDITIONS USED
Page numbers refer to omnibus editions of Nightside of the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun collected in Litany of the Long Sun (New York: Orb-Tom Doherty Associates, 2000); and Caldé of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun collected in Epiphany of the Long Sun (New York: Orb-Tom Doherty Associates, 2000).
Well, knowing Wolfe, there's probably something deeper to the dead woman. The fact that he draws attention to her repeatedly sets off alarm bells for me. Of course, it could also be a sign of the Outsider's care for the lost, discarded, and broken things of the universe. As might be the ragged child.
ReplyDeletePS: I've been re-reading parts of The Book of the Short Sun and have been dazzled, as I always am, by the myriad puzzles lurking there. One off-hand remark that had formerly seemed like a typo suddenly made sense to me today, but many more remain mysterious.
ReplyDeleteYou may well be right about the dead woman representing the Outsider's care for the broken and disparaged. The child, however, I'm quite sure is a reference to the Nativity - the Outsider also showed Silk scenes from the crucifixion, and Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem (being greeted by people waving palm branches). But, like you, I feel the dead woman must hold some significance. If I remember correctly, the only other visions that are mentioned more than once are Silk's visions of the stars, and of Pike's sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThe Book of the Short Sun is amazing. I really have to re-read it again soon. The narrative is so complex, and I love what he does with the narrator(s). _Return to the Whorl_ is my favourite of the trilogy - Wolfe's use of different narrators and styles is amazing! And it certainly is full of puzzles.
We find out later that Quetzal is an inhumu that occasional preys upon humans for sustenance. Perhaps the dead woman in the alley is one of his victims, one that Patera Pike wasn't able to prevent. You may recall there was a young girl who got sick. When her parents called Pike in for help, he recognized the problem and he left a sign which was effective in preventing Quetzal from feeding on her in the future. I suppose it's possible Quetzal wasn't the only inhumu on board the Whorl, but he's the only one we know about, I believe.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, it might be foreshadowing the uprising that occurs in book 3, I believe.
Of course that, knowing Wolfe, there might be some connection between that woman and another part of the story but I find it just as satisfying to see it as a random, unknown vision. What Silk means is that the Outsider showed him familiar and unfamiliar things, that ordinarily would not make sense to put together, but seen through the eyes of a god, all is connected and makes sense.
ReplyDeleteTo me, that image is just a premonition (vision of the future) of the fighting on the streets, connected with Pike because he prayed for help, help was Silk, and because of Silk all that fighting and death happened.
I always thought it was a representation of the house on Silver St.'s sacred window being visited by a God (or Goddess) again, since it had once been a sacred window.
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