Fulfilling her part of their coital bargain, Allie begins to tell Roland the first (but not last) story-within-a-story that characterizes the entire DT series. When Roland puts a hand on her stomach, Allie "starts violently", obviously jittery about the situation ... but it's clearly not Roland she is afraid of.
The Man in Black entered Tull on a windstorm, shaking the town's residents into silent avoidance. His black robe gave him the aura of a religious man, a notion at odds with the crazy grin he wore.
Allie was the only person who noticed him when he first entered Sheb's, the other inhabitants being caught up with Nort's wake, although their treatment of him before his death was not exactly kind. Even the fact that the man was laid out with a sprig of devil-grass serves as kind of a sick joke. This continued cruelty of a man tortured in life weighs heavily on Allie.
Allie's reaction to the Man in Black emphasizes the parallels between the dark man and Roland. She feels a tremendous sexual yearning, although there is a fear mixed into the carnal jolt that is not present when she lays eyes on the gunslinger. As she pours him the "best" whiskey he requests (without even seriously considering giving him the crap she could), he looks directly in her eyes and the pull between her legs grows to a fever pitch. Allie fears her own sexual urges as they apply to the Man in Black, viewing her feelings as a weakness.
When Allie expresses her frustration with the wake (and the attendants' prior treatment of Nort), the Man in Black observes, "It excites them. He's dead. They're not."
Yes, it's fair to say that the Man in Black traffics with death ... and poor Allie does not know how to deal with her own automatic reactions to the power he has, both over her and in general.
Showing posts with label devil grass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devil grass. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, May 15, 2009
Devil Grass Campfires
Since devil grass--that addictive weed that gives off a greasy, smoky light when used to make a fire--was all there was to burn, both Roland and the Man in Black used it to start their campfires in the desert.
The Man in Black's campfires were set up in a definite pattern, one described as "ideographic" (clearly symbolic). Even the unimaginative Roland ponders the remains of the Man in Black's fires, whether for example they are spelling out a warning such as "Keep your distance, partner", "The end draweth nigh", or "Come and get me."
Roland's own campfires send a rather telling message about their creator. Described as a "straightforward crisscross" that is "vaguely frightening in its no-nonsense surety", Roland's method of setting up the devil grass to burn is a strong indicator of his simple, workmanlike approach to life.
Although border dwellers were frightened of devil grass fires, perhaps with good reason (there was an overwhelming belief that demons danced within the flames and would draw you in if you looked too closely ... or too long ... or at all), neither the gunslinger nor the Man in Black had any choice in what to make his fire with.
To me, the most telling message sent forth to the reader by contemplating the devil grass campfires is that, when coming upon the remains of one abandoned by the Man in Black, Roland eats a piece of charred bacon left behind amidst the pattern of symbols.
This tells me two things:
First, the Man in Black has no intention of harming the gunslinger ... and they both know this (or else the Man in Black might have poisoned the bacon ... or Roland would never have eaten it).
Second, it's possible (even probable) that the Man in Black is taking steps to keep Roland alive. Throwing the gunslinger scraps like a starving dog must give him some sort of perverse pleasure.
The Man in Black's campfires were set up in a definite pattern, one described as "ideographic" (clearly symbolic). Even the unimaginative Roland ponders the remains of the Man in Black's fires, whether for example they are spelling out a warning such as "Keep your distance, partner", "The end draweth nigh", or "Come and get me."
Roland's own campfires send a rather telling message about their creator. Described as a "straightforward crisscross" that is "vaguely frightening in its no-nonsense surety", Roland's method of setting up the devil grass to burn is a strong indicator of his simple, workmanlike approach to life.
Although border dwellers were frightened of devil grass fires, perhaps with good reason (there was an overwhelming belief that demons danced within the flames and would draw you in if you looked too closely ... or too long ... or at all), neither the gunslinger nor the Man in Black had any choice in what to make his fire with.
To me, the most telling message sent forth to the reader by contemplating the devil grass campfires is that, when coming upon the remains of one abandoned by the Man in Black, Roland eats a piece of charred bacon left behind amidst the pattern of symbols.
This tells me two things:
First, the Man in Black has no intention of harming the gunslinger ... and they both know this (or else the Man in Black might have poisoned the bacon ... or Roland would never have eaten it).
Second, it's possible (even probable) that the Man in Black is taking steps to keep Roland alive. Throwing the gunslinger scraps like a starving dog must give him some sort of perverse pleasure.
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