The Gunslinger: Roland Deschain, The Man in Black, and The Epic Struggle

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“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed…”

Those words begin a classic tale of heroism that takes the reader into the eyes of the champion, the protagonist, who will undergo a series of trial and tribulations and, with the help of fellow characters, succeed and return to normal society. In other words, the protagonist undergoes the monomyth cycle. Author Stephen King’s magnum opus (masterpiece saga), The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I, tells of a lone gunslinger, Roland Deschain of Gilead, who ventures out in chase of the man in black. Roland, assisted by helpers, journeys across the desert, into the mountains, and at the same time tackles many challenges. The Gunslinger embarks on a journey where good is in confrontation with evil undertaking the monomyth cycle, which requires him to experience various tests, including starvation and treacherous terrain, haphazardly obtaining a helper, all of which leads him into the final confrontation forcing him to choose between what he “cares for” and what he “most desires”.

As the Gunslinger travels he stumbles upon Tull, a village, but in order to continue past, he is faced with daunting challenges. Although the gunslinger is greeted in peace, he soon learns that the man in black has passed by and is eager to acquire more information. Roland takes a trip to the nearby church where Sylvia Pittston is preaching. Roland forcefully enters her home, and threatens information from her about what lies beyond the desert. Soon after, the residents of Tull become aware of his actions and label him as the “Interloper” and seek to kill him. After the long combat, the gunslinger assesses the damage realizing he killed everyone in Tull, but not without injury. “The guns...

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...ersal part of the human condition.

Good vs. evil can be seen universally in all societies and in significance with Roland Deschain during his journey, in relation to the monomyth cycle, across various tests and tribulations, with the aid of a helper, and in the final confrontation between protagonist and antagonist. Stephen King’s The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I is a classic tale of heroic fantasy, strewn across mysterious, captivating worlds that resemble those of current day. In King’s storytelling mastery, he mesmerizes readers with his creation, the gunslinger, in his tale of good vs. evil and his ultimate quest to the pinnacle of mystery, the Dark Tower. Roland Deschain of Gilead, an emotionally reticent man, rediscovers his ability to trust and love, simultaneously clashing with evil, in a spellbinding tale both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike.

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