Roland Disneyn from Gilead is the shooter and protagonist of the Stephen King series of books on the Dark Tower. He is the son of Stephen and Gabriella Disney, the last representative of the ancient family of "shooters." When creating this hero, the author actively used the image of Clint Eastwood in Westerns, and conflicts and part of the characters appeared thanks to Robert Browning's poem "Childe-Roland reached the Dark Tower".
Past Roland
Roland got the right to call himself a shooter at age 14. Such an early passage of the ritual of masculinity occurred because of Diskeyne’s desire to take revenge on his father’s adviser, Martin, who had a love affair with the boy’s mother. Roland fought with his teacher and was able to defeat him with the help of the hawk of David. After the victory, the young man received pistols and became a real shooter. His father convinced him to postpone revenge on Martin and sent his son on a mission to the city of Hambri, where Roland found the main goal of his life - to get to the Dark Tower.
Roland is a descendant of King Arthur, who is known in this world under a different name. According to legend, only one who possesses the Arthur item can enter the Dark Tower. Gunner's pistols are re-melted from the legendary sword of Escalibur, so thanks to his weapons Roland Disney can enter the Tower. The story of the character is revealed throughout the entire cycle of books, telling about his losses. So, in the city of Hambry, he fell in love with the girl Susan, but could not save her from death. And it was Roland, under the spell, who killed his own mother. These two losses were reflected in the identity of the shooter, but did not break him.
Character appearance
The book repeatedly refers to the resemblance of the shooter with Clint Eastwood. Externally, Roland Deschain is described by a thin and tall man with piercing blue eyes.
Then gray hair appears in his hair and it is indicated that outwardly he became older by about ten years. At the beginning of the second book, Roland loses several fingers on his hand. The author does not name the shooter's specific age, nor does he describe his face. Therefore, different heroes see him as an old man or a young man, and his face is called both beautiful and ugly. In the television adaptation of the film "The Dark Tower" in 2017, the role of Roland Diskein will be played by Idris Elba.
Character character
Roland has great power. Over the course of his journey, he repeatedly suffered from injuries or illnesses from which an ordinary person could become disabled, but did not stop. The shooter is a very experienced traveler; he knows how to hunt, navigate the stars, and make clothes from animal skins. Roland knows five languages, understands the whole nature of the world, and also has the skills of a leader, teacher and diplomat. Excellent survival, knowledge of human psychology, the ability to handle weapons - all this confirms that Roland Disney is a shooter. Quotes of the character are usually laconic and show his attitude to what is happening around. Roland’s companions claim that he lacks a sense of humor, but when asked where it went, Disney says: “They must have been shot somewhere in the war.”
Roland takes great care of his comrades, who are united with him by a common destiny. He often risks his life to save friends or help them. But in those cases when the choice is between the allies and the approach to the Dark Tower, he prefers the second. So, Roland says: "You should not have good feelings for those whom you will inevitably do bad, otherwise you will be bad too." Roland's obsession with the Tower has not diminished throughout the books. This is his only goal, which he is ready to achieve at any cost.
Weapon Roland
The revolvers passed to Roland from his father - they look heavy and huge, with yellow sandalwood handles. Throughout the Middle World, this weapon is recognizable and helps residents identify the shooter. When Roland Disney is looking for ammunition for his revolvers in the real world, it turns out that the forty-fifth calt is best suited. Roland is described as a very experienced shooter - he can instantly reload weapons, and also knows how to shoot with both hands. Even when Disney loses a few fingers, he nonetheless pulls out a weapon faster than any of his companions and hits the target very accurately.
Love
The first and only love in Roland's life was Susan Delgado. At the beginning of this relationship, he was 14 years old, and he felt a strong attraction to the girl, comparable to drug addiction, as well as physical desire and romantic feelings. Their relationship caused dissatisfaction of his friends, which is why the union was almost destroyed. Susan herself actively helped Roland's friends, and killed several people to save them. The shooter could not protect the girl, and her death was a strong blow for him. He never recovered from this loss and continued to love Susan all his life.
Jake Chambers
In the first book, Roland meets a teenager Jake at the pump station. The boy died under the wheels of a car in his world, and after that, the shooter fell into reality. They continue the journey together, and Roland gradually becomes attached to Jake. However, at the moment when he has to choose: saving the boy or the path to the Dark Tower - he allows the teenager to die. Next, Jake’s fate is again shown. Living in the real world, he suffers from the duality of his consciousness, because he remembers his death and journey with Roland. The shooter with friends takes the boy to his world, and Jake becomes a full member of the group.
Way to the Dark Tower
At the beginning of his journey, Roland is lonely, but gradually around him a group of people forms whose fate is connected. Disney is almost madly obsessed with his idea of finding the Tower, which is the crossroads of an infinite number of parallel worlds. In the last book, Roland overcomes all obstacles and finally enters the Tower. In it, he understands that he has already gone his own way more than once, and this is a punishment for all his crimes. However, it is believed that Roland will be able to escape from his eternal hell.
Reader Reviews
Books about the Dark Tower are widely known. According to readers, the work attracts a large number of genres, the presence of connections with the author’s earlier books and interesting characters. Stephen King has been creating this cycle for over 30 years, and people have changed along with the heroes of the Dark Tower.
Roland has a very complicated and ambiguous fate. The shooter is being tested on his way, but readers continue to go along with him and share his grief, joy and even love.