The Room at the Top of the Tower

BevVincent

Personally, I loved the ending of the Dark Tower. I was amazed to see the focus of the entire series shift from Roland and the Ka-tet trying to save the tower, the rose, the writer (and of course, everything else), to the manner in which Roland does these things. And since he has taken on the quest for the tower at least a few times before (and probably has one or two more trips to go), I'm just wondering if Stephen King has said anything about these previous or upcoming journeys to the dark tower. I wonder if King has imagined -however vaguely- Roland's ealier attempts, or maybe even the end Roland meets when he finally approaches the tower with the Horn of Eld and is found worthy to enter the room at the top (if that is actually possible). Some people might disagree, but what I got from the books was that Roland is questing for God (although what sort of God is in need of the help of his creations to save Him from being destroyed I don't know).. So if you're of the same mind on that, is it really possible to gain access to God by our actions? Most religions say yes. Christians say no, that you need an act of redemption from outside of oneself. Again King leaves it open to interpretation, because the magical appearance of the Horn could've been just that. Either way, I think with the Hindu diety Gan's presence in the series, it's very interesting that Roland's curse for failing his quest is kind of a reincarnation of sorts (Hindu Hell). But the clearing at the end of the path seems a bit more like a Christian notion of heaven than Hinduism's faceless union of souls with the prim (to put it in Tower-talk). Regardless, the whole thing is pretty amazing. I had a smoke alone after finishing the Dark Tower at 6 am (I finished after reading all night) and all I could say was, "wow."

BevVincent

My take on it is that it is Roland's hubris to presume that he can know and understand things vastly greater than human comprehension. He presumes to know God, to throw open the door and confront the great Gan and demand an explanation for everything. In my heart of hearts, I believe that Roland will only be freed from his curse of repetition when he understands there are things mankind is not meant to know, succeeds at his task and then cries off from the Tower without ever entering it.

BevVincent

The cynic in me says King ended the series like that so we'd all pick the story up again and again andagian and...

I'm not sure I see Roland's getting caught in this big time-loop as punishment, though. The only thing I can imagine his being punished for is his thinking then end---"the Good, the bloody Good"---justifying the means---things like blowing away the people in Tull. If we're being pusished as a nation by repeating Korea and Vietnam again because our leaders believe the end justifies the means, then Roland might conceivably be punished for making the same philosophical mistake. Maybe it really IS about "noting the sparrow's fall" rather then the Big Picture, and acting accordingly.

...Or maybe it's just his ka.

DTUK

And for all the heartache and violence on his quest - Roland also finds love and compassion...and friendship.



Ka is a wheel....

TheWraith1997

Does anybody think that King will continue to make DT references in his future books, since the quest technically hasn't ended yet?

BevVincent

Possible, but probably not as overtly as in the 1990s books.

buckythekangaroo

I have not been here in a while but after the years and years of reading and listening to the audio books over and over and over again. I still dont understand something. When the quest starts over at the top of the tower and Roland starts over. Does everything start over or just Roland. Does he meet new people on his next quest or does his fingers grow back and everything happens the same again.



Does he even know that it started over again? Where does his memorys start and stop? Does he remember Eddie, Jake and Suze or is all that whiped from his memory?



I will be honest I was not a big fan of the ending but that still dont change my love for the story. The ending just made all that build up seem a little cheap.



I know I am probally in the minority here but I am being honest. I still love the story and still read the books over and over. I listen to the audio CD's constantly on my I-POD over and over again.

BevVincent

Anything is possible on the next go-round. I think there is some residual memory, but only in that deja-vu sort of way that he and the others experienced. If he choses differently in certain situation, it may be that the composition of his ka-tet changes. His fingers don't grow back--he hasn't lost them yet when he comes to his senses in the desert. In essence, he's not the same man as the one who opened the door at the top. He's a version of himself who has already chosen differently: he has the Horn of Eld.

buckythekangaroo

Bev_Vincent wrote: Anything is possible on the next go-round. I think there is some residual memory, but only in that deja-vu sort of way that he and the others experienced. If he choses differently in certain situation, it may be that the composition of his ka-tet changes. His fingers don't grow back--he hasn't lost them yet when he comes to his senses in the desert. In essence, he's not the same man as the one who opened the door at the top. He's a version of himself who has already chosen differently: he has the Horn of Eld.

I guess I was just looking for more substance in the ending not so much guessing. It just almost seemed like nothing really happened. Nothing really changes. Roland does his trip again Eddie, Suze and Jake all chill together is some weird way where they dont know each other but then they sort of do.



Nothing was really acomplished. I know this is a bad way to look at it but I cant help it.



Oh well. I still love it.

DTUK

buckythekangaroo wrote:

Anything is possible on the next go-round. I think there is some residual memory, but only in that deja-vu sort of way that he and the others experienced. If he choses differently in certain situation, it may be that the composition of his ka-tet changes. His fingers don't grow back--he hasn't lost them yet when he comes to his senses in the desert. In essence, he's not the same man as the one who opened the door at the top. He's a version of himself who has already chosen differently: he has the Horn of Eld.

I guess I was just looking for more substance in the ending not so much guessing.  It just almost seemed like nothing really happened.  Nothing really changes.  Roland does his trip again Eddie, Suze and Jake all chill together is some weird way where they dont know each other but then they sort of do.



Nothing was really acomplished.  I know this is a bad way to look at it but I cant help it.



Oh well.  I still love it.

I guess the substance would be in the reader's interpretation - for me the ending/beginning and the wheel that joins them is substantial because from a perspective of a spiritual journey, alot was accomplished in Roland's incarnation, as written by King...it's nice to wonder what might happen on the next turn round...



Roland also finds his purpose as outlined in the conversation with the Dark Tower (GOD?) - he is just meant to be. A force for good around which alot of other things rotates.



It was sad the ending, and but there is also a sense of hope...and how can we say we too begin or end...



To paraphrase Different Seasons: "Hope Springs Eternal"

Pookie

Bev_Vincent wrote: My take on it is that it is Roland's hubris to presume that he can know and understand things vastly greater than human comprehension. He presumes to know God, to throw open the door and confront the great Gan and demand an explanation for everything. In my heart of hearts, I believe that Roland will only be freed from his curse of repetition when he understands there are things mankind is not meant to know, succeeds at his task and then cries off from the Tower without ever entering it.

First off, I used to be on this board all the time as Darth Pookie. For some reason I can't get my password sent to my old e-mail address.



Okay, now onto this issue: I don't think that there would be anything wrong with Roland just wanting to have a conversation with Gan, but, as you have said, Bev, for Roland to presume that he can comprehend creation itself is just the wrong thing for him to do.

Enravagement

buckythekangaroo wrote: I have not been here in a while but after the years and years of reading and listening to the audio books over and over and over again. I still dont understand something. When the quest starts over at the top of the tower and Roland starts over. Does everything start over or just Roland. Does he meet new people on his next quest or does his fingers grow back and everything happens the same again.



Does he even know that it started over again? Where does his memorys start and stop? Does he remember Eddie, Jake and Suze or is all that whiped from his memory?



I will be honest I was not a big fan of the ending but that still dont change my love for the story. The ending just made all that build up seem a little cheap.



I know I am probally in the minority here but I am being honest. I still love the story and still read the books over and over. I listen to the audio CD's constantly on my I-POD over and over again.

Hey man, the horn could change EVERYTHING 'bout DT, we don't know. Mayhap later King would tell us (like Randall Flagg; remember, he started all omnipresence-like, all "dark-mystery-no-past".....and look what happened.)