I think that that being the nature of society was kind of the point. The banality of evil.
Roland's
The Mejis folks' (who let it happen)
Cordelia's and Rhea's
Everyone's from above
Someone else's - /let us know please/
It was ka
Noone's
I think that that being the nature of society was kind of the point. The banality of evil.
I agree. I think the folken partly pursuaded themselves as well. I don't see them as the people most to blame, but they certainly had a hand in it.
Here is Rhea, a witch most of them fear and probably hate. Here are the Coffin Hunters, heavies who have been throwing their weight around, new people who the Mejis folk also fear and would usually have as few dealings with as possible. And here is Cordelia. Fairly well respected I'd imagine, but rather snobby, and not a little kooky. At the time she appears with Rhea she is obviously half insane. These 'witnesses' and 'leaders' are hardly credible are they? Yet the folk went along with it. Against Susan, the daughter of a man they all respected.
Even if they genuinely believed the allegations there's a proper way to do things. They could investigate further, put Susan on trial. Instead they followed the ravings of Rhea and Cordelia and revived the barbaric Charyou Tree ritual. They were afraid and confused by the deaths of the prominent men in their town and they were willing to listen to anyone, to take the easy way instead of the right way.
They certainly bear some of the blame.
(1) I honestly don't understand why this is even in the discussion anymore, I'm sorry. The facts of the novel are simple: The Good Man was going to destroy the town; the town had been convinced by everyone, including the "police" of the town, that Susan was the one who was going to facilitate this destruction; therefore, Susan's death was validated to the towns' folk.
It doesn't matter if you agree with their reasons. The only thing that matters is that the murder can be justified based upon their society and their rules and their values. However, if I may quote you here for a moment: "It can be a good one or a weak one but who has the right to judge it?" Based upon your own logic, we should not even be discussing whether the towns' folk deserve blame. Here we are, though.
Not to mention, the death of Susan was also a bit of a message to anyone else who would dare hurt the town. They were using her as an example that they were not going to take The Good Man's plans lying down.
And I'm sorry, but my point in my last post still stands, as you have yet to answer it: If you had to choose between letting yourself, your children, your family, and everyone else you know and love die, or kill one of the people that you think would have been responsible for those deaths, which would you choose?
(2) And yes, The Big Coffin Hunters' place in the town does make a difference. They had the "police" wrapped around their finger, the Mayor was very openly their "friend", the Mayor's sister was infatuated with one of them, and they were known around the town as generally "well-regarded" folken. Yes, Roland's Tet was liked by the town, as was Susan, but they already had a few knocks against them. Roland's Tet were the new-comers and were seen in a less favorable light than the Big Coffin Hunters. As for Susan, she was regarded as the town whore. No one respected her being the Mayor's Gilly and it was mentioned multiple times throughout the book.
(Actually, I am trying to convince you lol Sorry I just really can't understand where you're coming from in thinking that the people of the town had a choice in the matter. Therefore, I am trying to show you my thinking in the hopes that you will show me yours. Please, try to convince me! I'm not going to get it otherwise. Because right now you aren't trying to get your point across, you're just dismissing everything I'm saying as wrong because you "think I'm wrong" in so few words. That doesn't help discussion! )
Finished The Dark Tower at 6:03AM on December 21, 2009.
The man in black fled across the desert,
and the gunslinger followed.
Okay, now my answer will be as detailed as possible. Still not to convince but because you asked for it at the end of your post. Anyway I get your point I just don't agree with it. I hope at the end of this discussion you will get mine even if you don't agree with it.
Convinced... they were told something and they ate it all up. Because they wanted to believe it. Yes, the folken believed the tale because they were afraid and terrifed but for my part I am sure deep in their heart they knew the truth. And it's written in the book that when Susan was on fire you could see on some faces that they realised what they had done but they had no chance to turn time back.I honestly don't understand why this is even in the discussion anymore, I'm sorry. The facts of the novel are simple: The Good Man was going to destroy the town; the town had been convinced by everyone, including the "police" of the town, that Susan was the one who was going to facilitate this destruction; therefore, Susan's death was validated to the towns' folk.
How could they realise it? Noone told them the truth. But as they were watching Susan dying in flames they could see her as they had known her before: a kind girl from the town.
Okay, but in this case they can kill anyone anytime. They say he or she is a traitor and that's it. Where is the proof? As I have said before I have no problem with this kind of punishment and treatment of the traitors but the way Susan was called a traitor is simply.. ridiculous. They had no proof they had nothing in their hand but they sent her to die without any hesitation.It doesn't matter if you agree with their reasons. The only thing that matters is that the murder can be justified based upon their society and their rules and their values.
Now you will say but they were told.. for me it's not enough. And it shouldn't have been enough for them either. But it was because that's what they wanted.
You know it's a hard question because I have never been in this situation at all. I wasn't born in Roland's world. Of course everyone tries to protect their family but for Christ's sake the folken from Mejis didn't protect their family at all. If they wanted to protect their life they should have opened their eyes and see.And I'm sorry, but my point in my last post still stands, as you have yet to answer it: If you had to choose between letting yourself, your children, your family, and everyone else you know and love die, or kill one of the people that you think would have been responsible for those deaths, which would you choose?
But to give you a straight answer: I would choose to find those who are truly responsible for the danger. And I wouldn't kill the first person who comes across the street to calm myself and tap my shoulder.
Few knocks? And that's enough to kill any of them without any investigation? Without any proof?And yes, The Big Coffin Hunters' place in the town does make a difference. They had the "police" wrapped around their finger, the Mayor was very openly their "friend", the Mayor's sister was infatuated with one of them, and they were known around the town as generally "well-regarded" folken. Yes, Roland's Tet was liked by the town, as was Susan, but they already had a few knocks against them. Roland's Tet were the new-comers and were seen in a less favorable light than the Big Coffin Hunters. As for Susan, she was regarded as the town whore. No one respected her being the Mayor's Gilly and it was mentioned multiple times throughout the book.
Listen, when Susan was on her way to the bonefire you could feel in the air that those people weren't ready to kill because they wanted justice. They wanted blood. And they got it. Or at least that's how I interpreted it but for the next time I will prepare with some quotes if you wish.
Roland would have understood.
Thank you very much I appreciate it! I read over my previous post before I read your response, and I couldn't help but feel like I sounded very mean. I'm sorry if my last post upset you at all, I didn't realize how, let's say, strongly worded it was.Okay, now my answer will be as detailed as possible. Still not to convince but because you asked for it at the end of your post. Anyway I get your point I just don't agree with it. I hope at the end of this discussion you will get mine even if you don't agree with it.
Yes, I agree that they ate it up. They definitely should have thoroughly investigated the matter or at the very least honestly talked about it before they committed murder. I am also sure that they realized the truth as soon as they saw Susan burning. I think the horror of the situation finally showed itself there, and they figured out what was going on. That they went blooddrunk. At the same time, when they heard Susan screaming to Roland they realized that there was no way she could be guilty. Or, at the very least, they realized that they were murdering a small girl.Convinced... they were told something and they ate it all up. Because they wanted to believe it. Yes, the folken believed the tale because they were afraid and terrifed but for my part I am sure deep in their heart they knew the truth. And it's written in the book that when Susan was on fire you could see on some faces that they realised what they had done but they had no chance to turn time back.
How could they realise it? Noone told them the truth. But as they were watching Susan dying in flames they could see her as they had known her before: a kind girl from the town.
I'm not speaking in legal terms; I'm speaking in moral terms. I do not believe that they had any right to kill Susan, but I believe that it was justifiable. I do not think that they should be able to kill anyone at any time based on here-say. I agree with you on that much. But I believe that this case is much more serious, in my view and most certainly in the folkens' view, and you aren't taking that into consideration. This isn't just a rumor of someone being a traitor; this is based on the knowledge they're about to die at the hands of The Good Man and they believe they know who is going to cause it.Okay, but in this case they can kill anyone anytime. They say he or she is a traitor and that's it. Where is the proof? As I have said before I have no problem with this kind of punishment and treatment of the traitors but the way Susan was called a traitor is simply.. ridiculous. They had no proof they had nothing in their hand but they sent her to die without any hesitation.
Now you will say but they were told.. for me it's not enough. And it shouldn't have been enough for them either. But it was because that's what they wanted.
But in this case you wouldn't have had time to search out the real traitors. They had a day or two between after they heard about a traitor and when The Good Man would have been there (if not for Roland). In this scenario, you would have had almost no time, maybe just a few minutes. That would make you as hectic and scared as the folken were.You know it's a hard question because I have never been in this situation at all. I wasn't born in Roland's world. Of course everyone tries to protect their family but for Christ's sake the folken from Mejis didn't protect their family at all. If they wanted to protect their life they should have opened their eyes and see.
But to give you a straight answer: I would choose to find those who are truly responsible for the danger. And I wouldn't kill the first person who comes across the street to calm myself and tap my shoulder.
I still believe that The Big Coffin Hunters were held in a higher regard than Roland, his Tet, and Susan. In that case, yes, the town would have believed that Susan was guilty without any other thought.Few knocks? And that's enough to kill any of them without any investigation? Without any proof?
Listen, when Susan was on her way to the bonefire you could feel in the air that those people weren't ready to kill because they wanted justice. They wanted blood. And they got it. Or at least that's how I interpreted it but for the next time I will prepare with some quotes if you wish.
Finished The Dark Tower at 6:03AM on December 21, 2009.
The man in black fled across the desert,
and the gunslinger followed.
They wanted blood... but more than this, they wanted to satisfy the archaic, the primitive, the instinctive, the chaotic - the unformed - the worst in all people, that which can be overcome only by culture at its highest stages, and is all but invincible in a world that moves on. I agree with SynysterSaint that The Big Coffin Hunters were held in a higher regard than Roland and his party - because the Hunters way and the whole Farson's destructiveness answered to that primitive call much more than what the gunslingers were trying to do.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i voted option 4 yes i hold Roland responsible to a certain extent too
From this you'll recognize me;
My opinion is, Susan was responsibile for her own death (but a gunslinger's answer would be Ka):
She made the decision to become Thorin's gilly-girl; Cordelia may have goaded and nagged her into the decision, but it was Susan who had the final say. Everybody else's reactions that may have made them responsible came after her decision. So ultimately, responsibility must lay with Susan. If she had not said to Roland, "If you love me, then love me," she may not have died in the end; if Roland had not loved her, she may not have died in the end. But even here, Susan's decision came first.
A word about KA: Roland's comment that he and his original Ka-tet are the fools of ka is quite telling. They are KA's fools because they follow it blindly and use it as a rationale for every bad (and good) thing that happens to them. While I'm not doubting it exsists, they don't seem to recognize that they can influence in subtle ways. For example, Walter fortells that Roland will draw three: Eddie, Susannah, and Jack Mort. But when Roland has the chance, he decides that Mort would not make a good third for his ka-tet since he has a history with Odetta/Detta. Instead, he uses Mort to save Jake and birth Susannah from Odetta/Detta. Ka, having dictated that Roland's Ka-tet should be three, gives him Jake, since he prevented Jake from dying in 1977. Ka's will has been done, but Roland exerted his own influence over it. And I would argue that the Drawing was Walter exerting his own will over ka to begin with.
So Ka should not be blamed.
The last choice is just ridiculous (to me, but not to a gunslinger).
Continuing with KA: It is my opinion that human toying with Ka is one of the reasons Roland was doomed to repeat his journey. The secret of the Gunslingers was that the Tower did exist and their mission is to protect it. The Tower is Ka in the concrete. To reach it, Ka must be accepted at all turns; thus, Roland exerting his will on Ka in the case of Jack Mort doomed him from the start. But it's also coming to terms with what has happened and for Roland's progress in that respect, he has earned the Grail, the Horn of Eld, for his next attempt to attain the Dark Tower. Ka does seem to recognize human progress and well as failure. As a gunslinger, it is his responsibility to become a fool of Ka.
And in the end, Ka must not only have responsibility for Susan's death, but Roland must realize that no else is, including himself. What that means is, that I could never be a gunslinger as I believe that Susan was responsible for her own death. I would have been sent west long ago...
From the situation itself, I always questioned why Susan didn't stay in the hut or whatever it was where they laid. After Roland and the original Ka-tet left to set up, she decided just to lay out in full view where anyone could see knowing that Jonas and the coffin hunters were looking for her and them. Her action at the point was something I just didn't understand. Did she not get the danger she was in? I solely blame Cordelia and Rhea. Cordelia went insane and Rhea wanted to punish Roland for killing her damn snake by burning Susan. Sick!
I voted for all the people of Mejis because any of them could have protested and tried to stop the bonfire, I don't believe any of them were completely given away to "pack mentality" and they knew at least on some level that they were killing her without due process. Some of them did in fact think it was justice for betrayal of the town and killing the deputies, and so they were duped but they could have agreed to have a trial and investigate the facts. Also, I think that Roland was tricked and therefore is not guilty of causing her death, although he did set in motion events that led to her being in harm's way. Even if he did blame himself, and he made a mistake, he did not cause her death, but he also did not do everything he could to stop it, therefore he has blame for not saving her, but not for causing her death. And yes, I agree that she was partially responsible, she made choices that angered Rhea and Cordelia, even if she did not expect the reaction they had, she had to expect some sort of negative consequence for angering them.
People are always talking about truth.Everybody knows what the truth is,like it was toilet paper or somethin...All there is is bull*...One layer of bullshit on top of another...what you do in life...pick the layer of bull* that you prefer...
Reading through the posts before me, it's really hard to assign blame. To some extent, I think that laying the blame on ka is an all-encompassing sort of thing that signifies everything happened with purpose and linear continuation. Personally, I think that maybe Susan's death was ka's way of saying: "Roland, wake up. Since you can't make the decision to move on with your quest by leaving this girl yourself, she will leave you on other circumstances. Move on, you have bigger things to worry about."
Simple as that, mayhap?
For my part I don't even believe in ka but if it does exist in Roland's world I don't think it would ever suggest that Susan would leave him on any circumstances. It's the Red's business to suggest such things.
Don't misunderstand me, I get your point and many people see ka in Susan's death so you are not alone.
Roland would have understood.
Susan should have thought about her unborn child first rather than try to help Roland when he told her to just leave and go to his home! He's a gunslinger after all and can take care of himself. But no she made some really bad choices and you add in Ka which led to her death.
The primary responsibility is with Rhea and Cordelia. They were the ones who actively tried to get her killed, while fully aware of her innocence.
Of course a lot of other parties played a role in various shades of gray. But these two were the authors of the crime and none other.
He would let her fall, just like he did Jake was my thought. He did not save her, because he was obsessed with this glory of winning the battle at Eyebolt Canyon, his "mission" was more important than his love for her, which is the struggle he fights throughout the opus.
People are always talking about truth.Everybody knows what the truth is,like it was toilet paper or somethin...All there is is bull*...One layer of bullshit on top of another...what you do in life...pick the layer of bull* that you prefer...
Everyone played a part in causing Susan's death, including Susan. Looked at it that way, you could say Ka was ultimately responsible. Roland and Susan knew it was dangerous. She was Thorin's gilly, and even though she really didn't want to go through with the deal, she and Cordelia had already accepted money and was bound by tradition. Very dangerous. Sheemie helped to facilitate Roland and Susan's liasons. Cuthbert tried to bring Roland to his senses, but ultimately left it up to Roland. Alain expressed his concerns but did nothing.
Everyone played their part, either through active participation or inaction.
I don't think Roland is a very 'nice' guy but I can't understand how anyone can blame Roland for Susan's death. Hind sight is 20/20, Roland is NOT God, there is no way he could know what was going to happen.
Let's say a local Sheriff gets a call at home saying some nut is rampaging through town, stealing and murdering as he goes. The sheriff goes off to track the man down and stop him. He tells his wife to lock the doors and not answer it for anyone and goes off to do his duty. While he is gone the man breaks into the home and murders his wife. By the logic people are using here the Sheriff is responsible for his wife's death. I just don't see it.
Now why wasn't Susan on the list for who to blame? When she accepted to be a Gilly, a whore, she was the one to sew the seeds of what happened.
It was the glass... It helped Rhea catch Susan at the end. It purposely didn't show Roland what he needed to see in order to save her. It was the glass that manipulated Rhea and Roland. In turn it was Rhea that manipulated Cordelia who then used PR to get the townfolk riled up and ready for the burning. The glass showed what it wanted and set the ball rolling so that Roland would experience this long in hopes of breaking him, and in turn, his quest for the Tower. It is only because of his original KaTet and his new KaTet that he is able to continue on his path. If it wasnt for them he might have just given up. I think that is an important point King tries to make, as strong as Roland is, he still needs his friends to accomplish his quest for the Tower.