Reader Impact on Roland's Fate

[Publius]

Having finally found the time in life to immerse myself in the last three volumes of The Tower Dark series since starting it in the early 1990's, I see no point in either denigrating Roland's fate or worshiping it as some sort of stroke of literary genius. It is what it is Just as a real person's life may seem like it should end up somewhere, but often doesn't - so does the Gunslinger's.

However, to take the laws of the universe that seem to exist in this epic - and Stephen King's central appearance in the story - the role of the Reader should seem to play a part as well - for what is a story if no one hears it? And in this world, Ka seems to wrap everyone together - why not the Reader too?

Roland's achieving the top room of the Dark Tower sends him back (we know not how many times past) to just before we first meet him in The Gunslinger - the beginning of the tale. And the great question is, for how long must he accomplish this Sisyphean task?

Well, since these worlds and Roland's story are wrapped up in the pen of Stephen King, it would seem both logical and poetic that he pursue and climb the Dark Tower for as long as the story is read. For must it not come alive again and again in each person as they pick up the story and begin to read?

Roland must carry on for however many decades or centuries the story is read. And when the last reader finishes the last page of the last book - Roland will open the door and find himself in the clearing at the end of the path with everyone else the Tower has drawn. And the Gunslinger can rest.

[Wordslinger2]

That my friend is an interesting thought- thank you for pointing it out~

[Morrison]

Maybe king was saying that Roland was just blowing his own horn, and that the delusion was in the horn. Perhaps Roland's journey had only begun.