Although I've never read Dante Alighieri's 'The Divine Comedy', this section did remind me of that story as I loosely understand it. Dante descends into hell accompanied by Virgil. Here we have Severian descending into the depths of the House Absolute, a subterranean estate, a chthonic fortress alongside his only friend Jonas. They find themselves lost in a dark prison with generations of condemned; Plunged into an abyss, exiled from the meager light of a dying sun.
There's some evidence in the new testament to support the idea that after the crucifixion, Jesus descended into hell or the realm of the dead. Apparently it was in order to free the noncriminal damned, born before his ultimate sacrifice was made, who'd been denied entry into Paradise. Makes me curious about what the narrative significance might be for having Severian trapped in such a forlorn place.
He is someone who's held, or at least overseen the imprisonment of many captives in his time at the matachin tower and felt very little for all of them, with one notable exception. Hopefully this experience will engender in him an appreciation for the soul's need to be free. Maybe he comes to think of the Urth itself as a prison and will seek to liberate mankind when he becomes Autarch.
I have many questions about this section of the story! Why is this chapter called Fool's Fire? It made me think of fool's gold at first. However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary it is a phosphorescent light seen at night hovering over bogs and marshes—a ghostly light that is said to mislead incautious travellers(i.e. ignis fatuus or foolish fire). Also, what is the nature of the terrifying events that conclude the chapter? I find the very last sentence to be especially haunting; Over the wild din I heard the clear laughter of a young woman; then it was gone.
The antechamber seems to be a place of many secrets and there's some very interesting things ahead! I can't wait to read more of your thoughts as we continue this journey!
Although I've never read Dante Alighieri's 'The Divine Comedy', this section did remind me of that story as I loosely understand it. Dante descends into hell accompanied by Virgil. Here we have Severian descending into the depths of the House Absolute, a subterranean estate, a chthonic fortress alongside his only friend Jonas. They find themselves lost in a dark prison with generations of condemned; Plunged into an abyss, exiled from the meager light of a dying sun.
There's some evidence in the new testament to support the idea that after the crucifixion, Jesus descended into hell or the realm of the dead. Apparently it was in order to free the noncriminal damned, born before his ultimate sacrifice was made, who'd been denied entry into Paradise. Makes me curious about what the narrative significance might be for having Severian trapped in such a forlorn place.
He is someone who's held, or at least overseen the imprisonment of many captives in his time at the matachin tower and felt very little for all of them, with one notable exception. Hopefully this experience will engender in him an appreciation for the soul's need to be free. Maybe he comes to think of the Urth itself as a prison and will seek to liberate mankind when he becomes Autarch.
I have many questions about this section of the story! Why is this chapter called Fool's Fire? It made me think of fool's gold at first. However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary it is a phosphorescent light seen at night hovering over bogs and marshes—a ghostly light that is said to mislead incautious travellers(i.e. ignis fatuus or foolish fire). Also, what is the nature of the terrifying events that conclude the chapter? I find the very last sentence to be especially haunting; Over the wild din I heard the clear laughter of a young woman; then it was gone.
The antechamber seems to be a place of many secrets and there's some very interesting things ahead! I can't wait to read more of your thoughts as we continue this journey!