The end of the Dark Tower series (SPOILERS)

[Dominique]

I finished the Dark Tower series about a week ago, and I was wondering what everyone's take on the ending was. What's different about this particular quest for the Dark Tower that gives Roland a shot at redemption? Was this his first time travelling with others? His first time trying to save the Tower as well as find it?

My personal theory is that since the world in which they had to save Stephen King always progresses forward, this was their first time actually having to save him; it never would have been 1999 on that world until this time going around. Which doesn't seem that important, until you take into account the fact that Roland tried to throw himself into the path of the van instead of Jake, proving that he was willing to give up his chance at seeing the Tower in order to save Jake's life. But I'm sure everyone has some kind of theory.

Also, was I the only one who was ready to drive up to Stephen King's house and personally thwack him in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper if he clumsily mentioned himself one more time? (i.e. "We've all had prophetic dreams! Say, Roland, do you think Stephen King ever uses prophetic dreams in his books?")

[Reginald de Curry]

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I finished the Dark Tower series about a week ago, and I was wondering what everyone's take on the ending was. What's different about this particular quest for the Dark Tower that gives Roland a shot at redemption?

The horn is the key. It is the only thing Roland didn't have the last time around (or the few hundred before that), which suggests that he now has a real chance to break out of the prison he's in.

Was this his first time travelling with others?

I'd say no, though it may be the first time he allowed himself to truly care for them.

His first time trying to save the Tower as well as find it?

Probably not, as the first is required for the second to happen.

My personal theory is that since the world in which they had to save Stephen King always progresses forward, this was their first time actually having to save him; it never would have been 1999 on that world until this time going around. Which doesn't seem that important, until you take into account the fact that Roland tried to throw himself into the path of the van instead of Jake, proving that he was willing to give up his chance at seeing the Tower in order to save Jake's life. But I'm sure everyone has some kind of theory.

It's an interesting theory, though I don't agree. As I understand it, Roland has been reliving the same events over and over again (Why does he think ka will provide? Because it did the last thousand times.) Specific details may change, but the overall plot remains the same. This suggests, at least to me, that the Tower overrides the "you can't go back" rule that all other doorways seem to follow (and is the only thing that can). Besides, it wasn't Jake's life he needed to save, it was King's.

Frankly, I think the only chance Roland has of escaping his prison (his domain, if you will) is to not let Jake fall under the mountain. As a reminder of ka-tet, the horn may be just the thing to make a difference.

Also, was I the only one who was ready to drive up to Stephen King's house and personally thwack him in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper if he clumsily mentioned himself one more time? (i.e. "We've all had prophetic dreams! Say, Roland, do you think Stephen King ever uses prophetic dreams in his books?")

I wouldn't go quite that far, but... You get the feeling King was rather was p!$$3d at himself when he wrote Book 7? "If he had done what he was supposed to do, we wouldn't be in this mess."

[Dominique]

The horn is the key. It is the only thing Roland didn't have the last time around (or the few hundred before that), which suggests that he now has a real chance to break out of the prison he's in.

Whoops. What I meant by that was, why did he deserve to get the horn this time around? I got that the horn was the key to his redemption, but not why he got it.

Was this his first time travelling with others?

I'd say no, though it may be the first time he allowed himself to truly care for them.

Yeah, that was pretty much what I thought, too. Although one friend of mine suggested that maybe he travelled alone before, or maybe he always travelled with different people, since there was nothing in the Tower after the lobstrosity--he didn't see anything that specifically indicated Eddie, Susannah, and Jake, the way he saw Susan Delgado's stake and smelled his mother (and boy, was that Freudian). I don't think I buy it, but I wanted to toss it out there.

It's an interesting theory, though I don't agree. As I understand it, Roland has been reliving the same events over and over again (Why does he think ka will provide? Because it did the last thousand times.)

Right, but I feel like there was something that must have been different this time around that allowed him to get the horn. Maybe it was just something along the lines of "Roland Deschain, this is your ONE THOUSANDTH TIME entering the Dark Tower! You win . . . A NEW HORN!!!" But I'm wondering if it was something he did, which I realize is impossible since we have no basis for comparison to previous times, but it's a fun exercise.

This suggests, at least to me, that the Tower overrides the "you can't go back" rule that all other doorways seem to follow (and is the only thing that can).

Point. If anything did, it would be the Tower.

Besides, it wasn't Jake's life he needed to save, it was King's.

Right. But what I'm getting at here is that Roland and Jake both knew that one of them needed to die in order to save King, and Roland wanted to be that one instead of Jake. Since the big thing that seems to have damned him to searching for the Tower is his single-minded obsession that allows him to let pretty much anyone else die, and his willingness to die in Jake's place proves that he's come to value something else more than he values seeing the Tower, I think that may have been his first proof that he was starting to improve.

Frankly, I think the only chance Roland has of escaping his prison (his domain, if you will) is to not let Jake fall under the mountain. As a reminder of ka-tet, the horn may be just the thing to make a difference.

That could very well be the case. I also wonder whether he needs to start trying to save the Tower for its own sake rather than for the sake of having it still be up so he can find it.

Huh . . . never thought of it as a domain, but it works. That's one doozy of a curse Roland has. "Just when you find what you're looking for, you'll have to go find it all over again! Also, everyone in your ka-tet will either abandon you or DIE!"

I wouldn't go quite that far, but... You get the feeling King was rather was p!$$3d at himself when he wrote Book 7? "If he had done what he was supposed to do, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Heh. Yeah, that was the one thing that was making all the self-conscious self-insertion a bit better. Because wow, Roland hated King . . .

[Cole Deschain]

Whoops. What I meant by that was, why did he deserve to get the horn this time around? I got that the horn was the key to his redemption, but not why he got it.

Maybe, as Reg said, it's because he cared about his companions.

Or maybe (my theory) it's because Susannah figured out that she had to leave before he reached the Tower, so one of his Ka-Tet actually survived this time.

Heh. Yeah, that was the one thing that was making all the self-conscious self-insertion a bit better. Because wow, Roland hated King . . .

Well, think about how different the story would have been if King hadn't been hit.