> from Carolyn to the List, Regarding "synthesis of star and sun"
>
> The odd wording of this phrase made me try to synthesize the two 
> words, 'star' amd 'sun', and I came up with the possible synthesis 
> 'Saturn.' The planet is described as dark, cold, melancholy and 
> masculine.
>
> The association of the scissors to the snipped "mouths" of 
> scarfskin (which I always associated with foreskin) then could 
> refer to circumcision. As Shade snips off his cuticles, he 
> meditates on his hand and the finger/persons it recalls. I 've 
> thought these probably are Shade's pre-marital sexual (and mostly 
> masculine & masturbatory) partners. This sexual history is a source 
> of misery to the heterosexual, or brighter, side of Shade.
>
> I will admit that it is an odd solution, not as witty as most.