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Is Roland's Race Really that Important? (Book Spoilers Inside)

posted 8 years ago by MaximusGrandimus
45 replies | jump to latest

Since none of the posters I have posed this question to directly have deigned to answer me, I've decided to open the following questions to the board in general Book Spoilers do follow:

Is Roland's race important when he tells Ben Slightman he should hope for a chance to die when the Wolves attack because of his betrayal of the Calla folk? Does his race matter when he engages in the shootout with Balazar in the Tower Club? When Susannah (and Eddie) ruminate numerous times that Roland would sacrifice one or all of his Ka-tet for the Tower? When he and Jake are running from the Tick-Tock man under Lud? When he kills the entire town of Tull? When he faces down the Red King and enters the Tower? When he faces Mordred and the Dandelo? When he is tricked by Maerlyn's grapefruit into killing his own mother or when he takes his Testing at the tender age of 16? Does Roland's race matter when he rejoins his Tet in the caverns beneath the Dixie Pig in New York of 1999, or when he meets Stephen King in the Key World version of 1977? When he draws Eddie from 1987? Does Roland's race or color inform ANY of these moments?

Because, these moments seem a bit more important to the story than Detta calling him a "honkey mah-fah..."

I don't know if you're aware of this but I've already changed things. I killed Ben Linus.
--Sayid

[–] Tripman 8 years ago

Roland's race really only comes into play in his interactions with Detta/Odetta/Susannah. But since she and Roland are not of the same world he could be black and still have similar interactions, because the bottom line is that she is crazy (until he unites her fragmented personalities) and he doesn't have any clue what living in America in the 1960s is like for a black person, or any race of person really.

She could easily call him an "uncle tom mofo" and he'd still have no idea what she was talking about, for example. So, his race is neither here nor there.

I'm more shocked that they got quality Idris Elba involved in this. I don't have much hope that this is going to be any good.

jackass
I'm a ghost and you know this

[–] Captain_Wesker 8 years ago

What are your thoughts on McConaughey as Walter Paddick?

---
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .

[–] Tripman 8 years ago

There are times when I still have trouble seeing MM as a serious actor, and
I'm not sure he's 'villainous' enough. I would love to see him kill it though and prove me wrong, mainly because I'm rooting for this movie, not against it, as any longtime fan of TDT Series should be.

jackass
I'm a ghost and you know this

[–] Captain_Wesker 8 years ago

When it comes to Walter's more comedic side, I imagine he'll knock it out of the park.

---
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .

[–] MaximusGrandimus 8 years ago

Have you seen True Detective? He's not a villain in that but it really shows his acting chops...

I don't know if you're aware of this but I've already changed things. I killed Ben Linus.
--Sayid

[–] Tripman 8 years ago

I have, and while I thought he was fine, I didn't really see the tour de force that everyone else seemed to see. He was surprisingly decent in Interstellar though.

jackass
I'm a ghost and you know this