Originally Posted by
pathoftheturtle
When a gunslinger has a problem for which he cannot find any acceptable solution, he can seek help from his dinh. He is expected to open himself completely, and to follow the dinh's advice absolutely. This is really just patriarchal authoritarianism, but it is one of the most beautiful expressions of it that I've ever read. The formalism involved would make the dinh acutely aware of the weight of his responsibilities.
The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that TDT and The Stand include a lot of escapist fantasy for the disillusioned conservative.:orely: