The Horn of Eld

[Doc Wilson]

The horn symbolizes his final journey in the loop. The final Stanza of "Childe Rolande to the Dark Tower Came" has the protaganist blowing a horn upon hearing the voices from his past.

Now this is interesting...

[BlackThorn]

I always figured the horn symbolized his humanity in some way. With the horn in his possession, maybe Roland wasn't the grueling beast he had otherwise become... maybe he was someone who had friends, and a reason for his quest, beyond the quest itself. I figured, just the time he would muse over his fathers horn who fell from his dying ka-mates hand, would change his ultimate path down the course we already saw him take.

I was really happy that Roland had the horn in the end. It was such a small thing, but it meant so much. Where there is chaos, there is chance, and even with just a snowballs chance in hell... Roland could at least have something to work with.

Of course, a horn to me symbolizes masculinity and power and strength, coupled with natural beauty. Don't know how that would relate to Roland making choices that would save his life, other than damn it.

But it always seemed extremely important that he got that horn. And the only part it would truly play, would be in Rolands own mind. The tet mates wouldn't have needed it to sound, at any point. So the only change would have been in Rolands own mind, and memories. Of course, he's a machine. I don't know what part that really could have played, either.

Something about in his dreams, he heard the horn sounding when he approached the tower. I think he was supposed to sound that horn himself. Maybe that was his true key, he otherwise missed. Either way, if things changed, Roland was given not only another chance, but another tool as well.

Who knows. Amazing story though, either way.

[Nilloc]

Since things, once done in Roland's world, like the head or tail keystone world of the rose, who is Roland chasing now? Randall Flagg is irretrievably dead at the mandibles of Mordred. If its a twinner, how did he get into the desert from his own world, and why?

I wondered that as well . . . Perhaps the Tower somehow resurrected Flagg as a way to make Roland's journey continue on?

[costanza]

Go back and read the expanded version of The Gunslinger again. Walter tells Roland that he "never learns". [spoiler] Flagg is aware that Roland has taken the journey before. He's in the loop in more ways than one. [spoiler/]

[CaseyM]

Wow, I was just posting in another thread that I thought that Roland must not have done something right, which was why he was doomed to repeat his journey. These posts have been very helpful in showing me some of the possible answers as to what he was doing wrong. Thanks to all for the insight!

[thymeoperator]

For some reason I can't seem to be able to thank BlackThorn - I just wanted to post this to say thanks for the reminder about that stuff Walter says in 'The Gunslinger'!!

[Bev Vincent]

I think the horn symbolizes improvement, but not necessarily the final improvement. He's getting better, he isn't so obsessed by the Tower that he can't take his eyes away for a moment, but he's still pretty obsessed. Small improvements, gradual iterations toward perfection.

[Wanderer From Ys]

Since things, once done in Roland's world, like the head or tail keystone world of the rose, who is Roland chasing now? Randall Flagg is irretrievably dead at the mandibles of Mordred. If its a twinner, how did he get into the desert from his own world, and why?

I'm pretty sure he was send back in time, not just send back to the desert. We are told repeatedly that time only moves one way in the keystone world, but if anything had the power to affect it, it would be the tower itself. Also if Roland were just repeating his same journey, without going back in time, wouldn't he get recognized more, as well as wonder what happened to his right hand.

[Ebdim9th]

Yikes, good thought... the Powers That Be keep restoring his hand and he keeps losing it again... either they're really cruel or he is (to himself)

[SleepingWarrior]

I'm pretty sure he was send back in time, not just send back to the desert. We are told repeatedly that time only moves one way in the keystone world, but if anything had the power to affect it, it would be the tower itself. Also if Roland were just repeating his same journey, without going back in time, wouldn't he get recognized more, as well as wonder what happened to his right hand.

That is assuming that he loses his hand on the beach after each encounter with Walter. Also where does it say he goes back in time? A few times its been mentioned that Gilead had fallen hundreds of years before, no sign or eyewitnesses to Gunslingers for the same amount of time, etc etc. Also by the same token, if the Tower has the power to keep throwing Roland back to the desert and giving him items such as the Horn of the Eld it could easily restore his hand and cure his drytwist (arthritis).

Either of us could be right, we both could be in parts or we could both be wrong but I just find the statements about Gilead having fallen hundreds of years before the most intriguing thing when it comes to whether he is in a time loop or not.