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stephen king - The Dark Tower and existence


Normally, I would just utilize the spoiler tags, but there are a lot of people who loved these books right up until the end.


WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILER DISCUSSION REGARDING THE VERY END OF THE BOOKS



The end of book 7, The Dark Tower, sees Roland finally reach the very top of the tower. He realizes that much (most?) of his journey has been a sort time-loop where he relives his journey over and over again. With this, he is transported back to the Battle of Jericho.




It is implied that if Roland can make the right decisions, he might be able to escape this purgatory and stop reliving the whole thing. It is my understanding that this whole time-loop is a sort of personal hell (or purgatory). This entire existence is built around Roland and his journey to punish him.





During the course of the books, we follow characters other than Roland: Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Mordred, Callahan, and even other more secondary characters. These portions of the story are certainly entwined with Roland's story as they all directly affect his quest in some way.




Clearly, all of these other characters existed at some point - though we have no clue just how many times Roland has gone through this loop.



Here is where things get a little fuzzy on my understanding.



When Gan/The Dark Tower/whatever force keeps Roland in this loop spins this reality, are these other characters also fully recreated as well? For example, is the Eddie Dean that exists in this looped-reality a fully realized character? Can he make actual choices of his own, or is he just a sort of puppet which exists to test Roland? I get that Roland is being punished and tested, but if all of these other characters also actually exist, then they are being punished and tested too.





Answer



This is indeed one of the more troubling aspects regarding the end of the Dark Tower, and as far as I know it has never been addressed in canon. Here's what we do know:




  • The same characters do keep popping up in each iteration of Roland's quest. His original ka-tet at the very least are always the same. In each (past) iteration Roland failed to fulfill promises made to Cuthbert such as blowing his horn at the gates of the Dark Tower.




  • The cycle seems to start at the beginning of the first book (The Gunslinger) with Roland pursuing Marten Broadcloak across the desert. This implies that the events before (Roland's childhood, the fall of Gilead, the battle of Jericho Hill ... etc) are set in stone and do not repeat. Though the appearance/disappearance of Cuthbert's horn in Roland's gunna might date it to at least the end of the battle of Jericho Hill.





  • None of Roland's current ka-tet seem to recall anything about past lives/cycles. A recurrent theme in the books is memories of past lives like Jake's and Roland's messed up memories due to the son of Steven tangling up the timeline.




  • Susannah seems to have been rewarded for her deeds (at the hands of the Dark Tower?) by transporting her to a reality where both Eddie and Jake are alive and well. Though whether this Eddie and Jake are the same or just some facsimiles is another disturbing question.




  • The Dark Tower is the nexus of time and space and all realities with unimaginable powers.





So characters who died before the beginning of the cycle remain dead and do not seem to be part of the repeating purgatory except as memories.


Characters who continue to exist within the cycle (Marten, Sheemie) may have entered it with Roland and are doomed to repeat it with him. Then there are characters who seem to be outside of time/space such as the Crimson King who are more like natural forces and may continue to act the same way with each cycle.


Characters who exist within the cycle (Eddie, Susannah, Jake ... etc) are more problematic. We have no idea if they repeat as well. Personally, I tend to think not. The new ka-tet not having any memories of past lives and Susannah being rewarded by the Dark Tower indicate to me that these characters are done. They have had their own tests and quests, and have fulfilled them (or not) and are now out of the cycle. The Tower may spin up new characters to be Roland's upcoming ka-tet, and they may resemble Eddie and company but they won't be the same people.


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