Brown discussion *DT ending spoilers*

[LadyHitchhiker]

"Do you believe in an afterlife?" Roland asks Brown. Brown says, "I think this is it."

This is a discussion of this topic for all those who have read through the whole series.

Do you think that Roland believed Brown and so therefore this changed his opinions of how he cared about matters in the future events? In other words, did Roland believe Brown and so therefore he tried to seperate himself from his ka-tet emotionally for a duration?

I hope this make sense.

And on this train of thought, could Brown be Gan? Will Roland always loop and see Brown? Is this Roland's afterlife?

And another point,

"the only contingency he had not learned how to bear was the possibility of his own madness."
does this mean the only thing that Roland is scared of and truly unprepared for his insanity?

[Brainslinger]

Hmmm. Interesting idea.

I don't think Roland necessarily believed Brown. At that point in time he certainly seemed to feel a sense of surreality though, as if he were in a dream, or possibly another trap left by the Man in Black.

I think the scene could be a foreshadowing of Roland's ultimate fate, in the same way that the little deja-vu scenes did, (although ironically, I don't think King knew that would be Roland's fate when he first wrote it.)

I don't think the scene necessarily coloured his whole vision of the world from then on though, (although I wouldn't be surprised if his mind would drift back to Brown and the hut from time to time.) I think he's just such a practical 'let ka take care of itself' kind of guy he wouldn't bother pondering such things for long, but just walks the road set before him, taking events as they happen.

And is Brown Gan? No, I don't think so. I think he is just what he appears, although the fact he was there in that time and place was certainly all to the overall design. I think his role and the experience was overall therapeutic, despite the sense of paranoia Roland felt at one point. Roland was able to describe the debacle of Tull and face the guilt (or lack of emotion?) he felt in that town's fate. Certainly another little step on the road to redemption and his later change.

It's also interesting when you consider the history of Brown too. This is a man who had wronged him in the past, although I'm not sure he remembered him at that point. Brown was certainly not a ringleader, more caught up in wind of events, but he was the one with the lamb-killer eyes who was first to condemn Susan on the last path to her ultimate fate. (Not including Rhea of course.)

I'm not sure what this signifies, one killer confessing to another, but it seems significant somehow. As does the fact they ultimately left on good terms.

[Letti]

Wow, even more interesting questions.
No, I don't think Roland believed Brown. I don't think Roland can believe anybody... he is way to stubborn, hurt and closed to rewrite his believes. He used Brown. He told him his story but he wasn't interested in Brown at all.
At that time of the series Roland seemed a machine and not a human-being.

Brown as Gan? No way. There are lots of people Roland will meet again and again during his loops. There is Alice for example. I am sure he killed Alice lots of times before but it doesn't make her unique or more than she really is.

[LadyHitchhiker]

Okay let's just assume Gan WAS Brown for a second. Wouldn't that be eerie? Everytime he loops he meets up with Gan again?

Oh well...

I know that Roland was devoted to this quest, but maybe even in this discussion of what had come to pass, and his experience with Jake, maybe he was beginning to doubt himself a little.

[Letti]

In this case we could assume Gan WAS the raven for a second. It would be even more interesting.

[LadyHitchhiker]

*gasps* THat's a beautiful and deranged yet iconic thought, isn't it???

[Brainslinger]

I know that Roland was devoted to this quest, but maybe even in this discussion of what had come to pass, and his experience with Jake, maybe he was beginning to doubt himself a little.

I think his time with Brown was the start of this, yes. Hard as he was at that point, the debacle of Tull obviously bothered him, although he likely put it to the back of his mind as he trudged his way towards the desert.

Telling his story, he was forced to face that past. Even then it wasn't easy to start, hence his requiring Brown to ask him, a key to his voice if you like. I think getting it out made him feel better, and caused him to examine himself, the man he had become and his motives.

It wasn't the turning point, as he had further downhill to go (Jake) but I think it may have been a start, a trigger if you like. (I didn't even intend that as a gun metaphor when I wrote it. )

[ManOfWesternesse]

...It's also interesting when you consider the history of Brown too. This is a man who had wronged him in the past, although I'm not sure he remembered him at that point. Brown was certainly not a ringleader, more caught up in wind of events, but he was the one with the lamb-killer eyes who was first to condemn Susan on the last path to her ultimate fate. (Not including Rhea of course.)

I'm not sure what this signifies, one killer confessing to another, but it seems significant somehow. As does the fact they ultimately left on good terms.

You state that as if it's fact, as opposed to speculation (I've seen it speculated on before, but didn't subscribe to it myself).

IS it fact (ie. Cannon from the series)?
Or is it Comic-Book-Cannon? (which is a different animal to me).
Or is it speculation?

thanks.

[LadyHitchhiker]

And if he was truly the hardened gunslinger that he wanted to be, he wouldn't have needed to talk about Tull, would he?

[Letti]

And if he was truly the hardened gunslinger that he wanted to be, he wouldn't have needed to talk about Tull, would he?

I think sometimes the most hardened people need to talk. They aren't looking for understanding or ease.. it's just a need that forces them to speak if they are a human beings and they haven't been listened for awhile.

[LadyHitchhiker]

That's an interesting point. And probably valid now that you word it that way. Even Jeffrey Dahmer wanted to talk.

[Brainslinger]

...It's also interesting when you consider the history of Brown too. This is a man who had wronged him in the past, although I'm not sure he remembered him at that point. Brown was certainly not a ringleader, more caught up in wind of events, but he was the one with the lamb-killer eyes who was first to condemn Susan on the last path to her ultimate fate. (Not including Rhea of course.)

I'm not sure what this signifies, one killer confessing to another, but it seems significant somehow. As does the fact they ultimately left on good terms.

You state that as if it's fact, as opposed to speculation (I've seen it speculated on before, but didn't subscribe to it myself).

IS it fact (ie. Cannon from the series)?
Or is it Comic-Book-Cannon? (which is a different animal to me).
Or is it speculation?

thanks.

Brown's involvement in Susan's death?

Spoiler:

It was Rhea who orchestrated the charyou tree fire, but Brown was one of the towns-folk who was there to condemn Susan, the first to throw corn shucks at her in fact. It's not speculation, it was mentioned in Wizard and Glass. Roland even confirms it later, by stating that he met Brown on friendly terms later.

[Jean]

I think it was the same Brown only in the same way as Sheb was the same, or Mr.Avery the sheriff was Ms.Avery the schoolteacher. Ka or no ka, but the wheel is there, only it never works directly.

[LadyHitchhiker]

And perhaps Brown forgets things as the wheel goes 'round???