Can someone explain to me the Marten/Fall of Gilead situation? (Spoilers)

[Sintify]

I read the Gunslinger, but I was confused about the Marten/Gilead situation. I know that Marten was really the man in black, right? And he was having an affair with Roland's mother? Or something along that line, but I did not catch the relationship with Roland's father and some other parts, so does anyone mind explaining this to me? I would be grateful

[Matticus]

I'm not sure what question you are asking. Roland's father was the top Gunslinger in Gilead (or about to be) when Roland was a teenager. The relationship between him and his wife (Roland's Mother) was admittedly not good.

In her despair, she was seduced by a man calling himself Marten at the time. Decisions were made...people got hurt.

[Ben E Gas]

They do explain more about that situation in the other books. Wizard and Glass talks a lot about Roland's teenage days and what happened between roland, marten and his parents. But I was confused about the identity of Marten & the man in black all the way to the end of the book. I had to ask a similar question on this message board about that.

[sam peebles]

Marten is Flagg/Walter/The Man in Black. The relationship is that Marten was Steven Deschain's (Roland's father) court magician. Steven Deschain was the lead gunslinger of Gilead and nemesis of John Farson or the Good Man, a foe heralding the fall of Gilead.

So Marten slept with Roland's mother (and made sure Roland found out about it) in order to coax Roland into taking his test too young, hoping Roland would fail and be banished into the west. Of course, this kind of backfired and Roland passed.

So yeah, the man in black is Marten/Flagg/Walter, who was Roland's father's magician. It's pretty confusing. Marten was secretly a servant of the Crimson King, and was campaigning for the fall of Gilead, although it appears as though he is not John Farson himself.

[Sandman]

Oddly enough the next Arc in the Dark Tower comic book is entitled "The Fall of Gilead"

I would HIGHLY recomend getting all of the comic book adapations. you can pick them up at any Barnes & Noble like book store. The first Arc is called "Gunslinger Born." which is basically the Wizard & the Glass but drawn out. The second arc is "The long road home" which chronicals Rolands travels back from Hambry that was only hinted at in the novel. The Third arc which just ended is called "Treachery" and goes more into the the whole Marten & Roland's mom thing more. There was also a one shot comic called "The Sorcerer" which REALLY goes into both Marten and the whole history/deal with the Pink Grapefriut

All highly recomended to continue with the story of Roland's Youth. "The Fall of Gilead" is set to start in May

[Goodlovin]

Most of this info will come to you if you continue to read the DT series. It is not something you need to know before the second book.

[Sintify]

Okay, thanks for the help you guys, on to The Drawing of the Three now.

[tillyn]

I'm not sure what question you are asking. Roland's father was the top Gunslinger in Gilead (or about to be) when Roland was a teenager. The relationship between him and his wife (Roland's Mother) was admittedly not good.

In her despair, she was seduced by a man calling himself Marten at the time. Decisions were made...people got hurt.

I agree with Matticus.