James Inman and Neil Berkowitz both had provocative responses to my off-the-cuff suggestion that one can think about CY in terms of original sin. The questions of imperfect knowledge versus intent are pretty interesting. Many of you will have read Pirsig's Zen and the Art of M-C Maint (probably years ago, as I did). What do you make of the differences between that and the CY? Remember that Pirsig the motorcycle rider only gradually becomes aware of his own flawed past--that he is Phaedrus, former mental patient--as the story unfolds. Thus, the character is struggling against his flaws, using knowledge to overcome his imperfections. Hank is much less aware of his own flaws. Clearly, they are only possible because of his past and his special knowledge. Hank thinks he is superior to other people because of bits of knowledge, and so he runs headlong into disaster (leading others with him). I'm not sure there is so much "intent" to do evil there, but there is something very close--Hank embraces evil unintentionally. And that is, perhaps, the concept of original sin, or what it meant to MT to be part of the damned human race. In that view, as humans we're doomed to do the wrong thing, intentionally or otherwise. Have a nice day. Mike Dooris Penn State