Working Out

I hate exercise, but let’s take a hike to the Dark Tower.

“A long tale, like a tall Tower, must be built a stone at a time.” -Stephen King

In this post I’m mostly working through the character evolution of Susannah Dean/Odetta Holmes/Detta Walker/Mia. They are all physically in the same body but separate characters.

Odetta Holmes was educated and humble, a civil rights activist in New York in the 1950s and 60s.

Detta Walker was her other half: vile, angry, violent. Unaware the other existed, they lived separate lives until they were forced to face each other and unite to become Susannah Dean.

Susannah seemed to personify Odetta, yet Detta is the one that surfaces in times of need or strength to encourage Susannah.

The fourth personality, Mia, emerges when Susannah begins to suspect she is pregnant. And she is, well Mia is. Mia is also white and has legs. They are forced to work together in order to birth Mordred Deschain, the creature destined to end Roland’s quest for the Tower.

Susannah enters Mid-World as a black woman with two personalities and only half her legs. Not only is Susannah the only one of the ka-tet that is woman, but she also comes with other characteristics that set her apart. It is no surprise that she is the one that helps birth the creature to end Roland, but she is also the only member of the Tet to survive the quest for the tower other than Roland.

But! The more important insight is that King uses Susannah’s different personalities to develop her character. Roland changes through the story to become more caring, Jake develops from a child into a slightly older child, Eddie goes from an addict to a recovering addict.

Suz, goes from two personalities to one, but then she merges, taking basically the best of both personalities. An evolution. Then when Mia invades and they birth Mordred, Susannah is finally ready to face the Dark Tower.

Ka is a wheel, may it do ya.

Long days and pleasant nights.

-T