Hermina Ferry
Feb 13, 2025
Why is John F. Kennedy considered America's last gunslinger?
Why is John F. Kennedy considered America's last gunslinger? I'm curious about the historical context and the specific events or characteristics that led to this perception. Thank you in advance for your insights.
1 Answers
Feb 13, 2025
In Stephen King's novel Song of Susannah, the sixth book of a seven-volume series titled The Dark Tower, King writes of President Kennedy's assassination, "America's last gunslinger is dead. O Discordia!" This statement in stanza 10 suggests that Kennedy might be considered a forerunner of King's own Roland Deschain. In this way, King also implies that since the 1960s, our world (or at least the United States) has descended ever closer to chaos, just as Mid-World has. Both worlds have experienced a loss of innocence and wonder, and both are now on the verge of destruction.
Roland Deschain is the hero of the entire Dark Tower series. His quest is to save the Dark Tower, as well as to discover exactly what the Dark Tower is and who occupies it. Over the course of the series, he recruits three people to help him on this quest: Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, and Jake Chambers. The quest is his "ka," or destiny, and they are his "ka-tet," with their own destinies bound to his.
Roland is a gunslinger—the type of character who might have once been played by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood in western movies. He is generally a man of few words, allowing his gun to speak for him. He rarely laughs or even smiles. He is obsessed with his quest. Although he is basically a good man, he will not hesitate to kill anyone who opposes him, or even sacrifice innocent bystanders if doing so will improve his chances of completing his quest.
For more about The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, see Encyclopedia.com.
Check out the Top 10 Must-Read Stephen King Books compiled by Barnes & Noble.... Show More
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