So, as you can tell from the title I’m reading the second Dark Tower book by Stephen King (about halfway through).
There’s a specific scene in the book that made me feel… sad? The scene in question is when Eddie buys Roland two hot dogs, a large pepsi, and aspirin. When the gunslinger drinks the Pepsi he’s overloaded by the sweetness/stimuli of the Pepsi and all he can think is *SWEET! SWEET SWEET SWEET! SWEET!* Roland was unable to stop drinking the liquid until the cup was dry, King uses the word *greed* to describe the ferocity of his gulping. Roland then debates with himself briefly if the cocaine in his possession is the sugar in the Pepsi, but decides not. This scene made me sad, not for him- but for us. I knew when Eddie bought the Pepsi that Roland would have a large reaction to it. I felt bad that this is a luxury that a lot of us have and take for granted, I also don’t like how terrible it is for our bodies and that it’s such a cheap substance for us to acquire. The gunslinger’s reaction made me oddly jealous? of him, that being said I would choose the luxuries of the modern world over his situation obviously. (Jealous may not be the most accurate word there.)
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I’m really just wondering if anyone felt the same, or if I went way left with my response to the scene.
by SIumptGod
3 Comments
I think you got at least some of the reaction that King was looking for. You may have gone further than most, I know I did not feel sad or jealous of Roland in that instance. Pepsi or Coke or any other soda is not something that I could not live without. Now that I think of it, I only drink soda when there is nothing else around but I do drink things like sports drinks or beer all the time.
I get ya. Similar scene to the Tooterfish popkin. Also: as someone from the UK, I had never heard the term popkin used for a sandwich.
Tbh, I thought that because he’s from a world where the bare necessities are scarce, the amount of sugar from the cola would be enough to take him out.