The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla

[Fes]

Just a little discrepancy I wanted to point out: Towards the end of the book, on one of those trips to New York courtesy of Black Thirteen, one of the ka-tet (Pere Callahan or Eddie) sees a man walking down the street with a Sony Walkman in the year 1977. The Sony Walkman was not introduced to the world until July 10, 1979..........the phrase "only in New York" comes to mind.

[michal]

Well, technically speaking that didn't have to be the level of the tower you and I live in, my fellow constant reader.

There are many levels to the tower and that could just have easily been a slightly different version of reality than the one we know. If you remember Father Callahan and the changing faces on the dollar bills... It can look exactly the same aside from slight changes.

[thymeoperator]

that's such a great 'get out' clause - 'this isnt your dimension'

[costanza]

I just noticed a silly little nitpick.

When Jake asks Roland if he can stay the night at Slightmans the first night and Roland says yes Jake says thankee sai and taps his throat three times. He should've tapped his breast bone, since Roland isn't a lady.

A couple pages later Andy does the same thing to Overholser, bows and taps his throat three times, after being told that no one wants to hear his god damn horoscopes.

[Moderator]

The throat tapping question has been mentioned before. Here is an annotated version of the response Robin Furth provided:

The fist-to-forehead bow is like a bow in our world. It is usually an honorary greeting, but it can also be used when you take your leave of a person, or when you want to humbly acknowledge an honor that has been done to you. (You are, in turn, honoring the person who has honored you.) Sometimes the fist-to-forehead movement can be used on its own, or can be simplified into the forehead-touching gesture which Roland and Andy perform when they meet in Wolves of the Calla. If you find yourself in Mid-World and want to use this gesture in its most elaborate form, you must hold one leg out straight and bend the other while simultaneously touching your fist to your forehead. It is probably safest to practice this at home before trying it in public!

Throat-tapping is a little more complicated. It is also a gesture of respect, but it usually accompanies the words “thankee-sai.” As you’ll see in the examples given below, throat-tapping is sometimes used just before or after a fist-to-forehead bow. It can also be used in other circumstances. For example, in Song of Susannah Roland taps his throat three times before crossing water, but we’re never told the symbolic significance of this. Hence, there are probably many other reasons to throat-tap—we just don’t know them yet…..

When you begin to actively look for it, you’ll find that the Dark Tower series is full of throat tapping and bowing. Roland taps his throat three times when he meets Susan Delgado for the first time in Wizard and Glass. (This is after another formal interchange in which Roland introduces himself, doffs his hat, extends a foot on one bootheel, and bows as they do in the Inner Baronies. Susan curtsies and introduces herself. Then Roland says “Thankee-sai . . We’re well met . . .” and taps his throat.) Jake also taps his throat three times in Wolves of the Calla after Roland gives him permission to stay overnight at Benny Slightman’s house. (Jake thanks him and taps his throat.)…

At the beginning of Wizard and Glass, Susannah Dean taps her throat while talking to Blaine the Insane Mono. Blaine tells her that she shouldn’t tap her throat to him, since he is male. (Roland tells Susannah that when women say “thankee-sai” to men, they should use their left hand to tap their breastbone.)

[costanza]

Thanks Ms. Mod.


I'm a big enough dork to have done the fist to forehead, leg extended bow greeting, in public no less. lol

[JohnDalglish]

[QUOTE=Moderator;408763]The throat tapping question has been mentioned before. Here is an annotated version of the response Robin Furth provided:
QUOTE]

Hi,

Gotta love Robin's work.

If you don't already have a copy of her invaluable Concordances rush over to Amazon (etc) right now, you'll love it/them.

Long days and pleasant nights