by Robin Furth
Susannah Dean is the only member of Roland’s ka-tet to survive. However, ka is not always completely unkind. When Susannah passes through the Unfound Door, she finds herself in an alternative version of New York, where both Eddie and Jake are still alive (albeit under the names Eddie and Jake TOREN). Although Eddie no longer remembers his life in Mid-World, he has dreamed about Susannah, and he knows (as do we) that he’s going to fall in love with her all over again. Susannah’s gunslinging days are over. As if to symbolize this, she finds that Roland’s gun (which she accidentally brought with her through the Unfound Door) seems absolutely ancient. Since it is plugged and unable to fire, Susannah throws it away.
Like EDDIE DEAN, JAKE CHAMBERS, and Jake’s bumbler OY, Susannah plays a small part in The Wind Through the Keyhole. In that novel (which takes place just before Wolves of the Calla), Roland and his American tet are journeying southeast along the PATH OF THE BEAM. Along the way they cross the RIVER WHYE (meeting the friendly ferryman BIX), and then must hide up in the abandoned village of GOOK to wait out a STARKBLAST. During that terrible storm, Susannah and the others listen to two of Roland’s tales. (These tales form the major adventures of the novel.) Roland’s first story tells of his adventure with JAMIE DeCURRY when the two of them went hunting for a shape-changing SKIN-MAN in the village of DEBARIA. Roland’s second story is a folktale called “The Wind Through the Keyhole,” and it is from this story that the novel takes its name.
I:130 (as Lady of Shadows), II:180–81 (Lady of Shadows), II:185–203 (Detta/Odetta in 1964 New York; 201 Roland and Eddie see her through door), II:204–9 (discussed by Roland and Eddie), II:211–12 (discussed by George Shavers), II:214–20 (George Shavers remembers), II:220–23, II:225–96 (on beach. 235–38 remembers brick accident; 247–77 Detta takes over; 277–96 Odetta takes over), II:297, II:298, II:299, II:300–305 (these and previous pages—Eddie and Roland discuss), II:305–7 (Detta), II:308–12 (discussed), II:315, II:316 (Lady), II:318, II:320–24, II:324–26 (Detta), II:327–38 (Detta), II:339, II:357, II:359–60, II:367, II:379–80, II:385–90 (Roland makes Detta and Odetta face each other), II:393–99, III:11–19, III:23, III:24–25, III:26, III:29–51 (from 37, Roland’s story; 43 says Susannah from 1963), III:54–77, III:78–86, III:96, III:97 (Lady), III:136 (Lady), III:149, III:151–52, III:158–65, III:170–76 (171 says she is twenty-six years old), III:178–82, III:189–90 (drawing Jake), III:193–94, III:196–98 (Detta’s sex wars), III:201–3, III:206–13, III:221–54, III:256–67, III:268, III:269, III:273–81, III:283–85, III:286–301 (Gasher), III:302–4, III:308–12, III:316–25, III:329, III:331–34, III:340–50 (345 says she’s from 1963), III:356, III:361–65, III:372–73, III:377, III:378, III:382–85, III:393–420, IV:3–10, IV:13–42 (riddling; 30 Edith Bunker blunder; 31–35 Falls of the Hounds), IV:44–70 (58–59 crash; 60 leave Blaine; 64 thinny’s sound and saw player in Central Park “sounds Hawaiian”; 69 pains in belly and dangers of demon contact), IV:70–112 (Topeka train station; 72–77 Topeka Capital Journal and superflu; 79 Beam disappears; 81 dead of Topeka and crip spaces; 82 new wheelchair for Susannah; 87 Charlie the Choo-Choo in Topeka; 91 sign of the Crimson King; 92 bullets in ears; 95 enter thinny; 97 Oz in distance; 106–12 Roland tells story), IV:335–37 (interlude in Kansas), IV:570, IV:615–25 (end of Roland’s story; back in Topeka), IV:626–68 (626 ruby cappies; 632 Green Palace; 634 gate like Wizard’s Rainbow; 646 Tick-Tock; 648 Flagg; 652 Roland’s matricide), V:8 (strangers from Out-World), V:29–31 (gunslingers), V:35, V:36, V:37, V:38–47, V:70, V:71–87 (Mia hunts), V:87–119, V:120–37, V:139, V:140 (Detta/Odetta), V:142–60, V:162, V:165, V:167–69, V:172–86 (181—Odetta), V:189–91, V:193–98, V:201–39, V:241, V:242, V:243, V:244, V:245, V:246–49 (Roland and Eddie discuss), V:250, V:251–53, V:257 (listening to Pere Callahan), V:258 (listening), V:260 (listening), V:262 (listening), V:266–71 (listening), V:273–74 (listening), V:282 (listening), V:284 (listening), V:285 (listening), V:290 (listening), V:291–96 (listening), V:301–2 (listening), V:309–12, V:318, V:321, V:322, V:325, V:329 (Detta), V:341, V:343–46, V:351–56, V:358, V:359 (indirect), V:365–66, V:368, V:369, V:376–80, V:381–82, V:383, V:386, V:388, V:390–91, V:392, V:393, V:394, V:395, V:396–406, V:408 (indirect, “other two”), V:412 (ka-mates), V:413, V:417–20, V:421–23, V:428–30, V:437–38, V:442–45, V:448–49, V:452–54, V:457, V:466–72, V:476, V:478–83, V:485, V:487, V:488–505, V:507, V:513, V:519, V:535, V:539 (Odetta Holmes), V:555, V:563, V:575 (brownie), V:581–90, V:597 (Odetta), V:601–17, V:620, V:628–29, V:639–40, V:641, V:652, V:654, V:658, V:659, V:662–74, V:679–91, V:695–705 (as Mia), VI:3, VI:4, VI:5, VI:6, VI:7 (indirect), VI:9, VI:10–11, VI:12, VI:13, VI:14, VI:16, VI:17, VI:21–22, VI:24–26, VI:32 (indirect), VI:35, VI:36, VI:37, VI:43, VI:48–52, VI:53–125, VI:143, VI:147, VI:150, VI:163, VI:168, VI:171, VI:173, VI:190, VI:194, VI:200, VI:205, VI:210, VI:216, VI:219–61, VI:267 (sweetheart), VI:271, VI:284, VI:287, VI:297, VI:299, VI:311, VI:316, VI:319, VI:320, VI:321, VI:322, VI:325, VI:334, VI:339, VI:340–41, VI:343, VI:347–85, VI:399, VI:400, VI:408, VII:3, VII:4 (Susannah-Mio), VII:13 (Detta), VII:19, VII:21–22, VII:24, VII:25, VII:27 (indirect), VII:34, VII:35, VII:36 (wife), VII:38 (indirect), VII:47, VII:48, VII:52, VII:55–80, VII:81, VII:84 (oops—feet!), VII:86, VII:87–88, VII:89, VII:91, VII:92 (indirect), VII:110, VII:111, VII:112, VII:114–15, VII:120, VII:121, VII:126, VII:136–38, VII:141–59, VII:161, VII:162, VII:163, VII:168, VII:169, VII:173, VII:177 (indirect), VII:182, VII:183, VII:186 (ka-tet), VII:187, VII:188, VII:189–220, VII:239, VII:247–61, VII:262 (indirect), VII:265–73, VII:276 (indirect), VII:279–309 (297–303 listening to Ted’s story), VII:315, VII:316, VII:317, VII:318–24, VII:325, VII:328, VII:329–42, VII:349–51, VII:361, VII:363–67, VII:373, VII:374, VII:381–85, VII:387, VII:388–90 (on 389 she grows feet!), VII:395, VII:396–97, VII:401–4, VII:407, VII:408–11, VII:413, VII:416, VII:417, VII:446, VII:448, VII:459, VII:485, VII:486–87, VII:488, VII:499, VII:502, VII:508–9, VII:513, VII:519–20, VII:531–42, VII:549–619 (619—no feet to run!), VII:620, VII:621–22 (indirect), VII:624–31 (624 feet), VII:632–710, VII:711, VII:715–50, VII:751, VII:754 (Blackbird Mommy), VII:756, VII:757, VI:758, VI:759, VII:761, VII:768, VII:769, VII:771, VII:773, VII:774, VII:780, VII:785, VII:789, VII:801, VII:802, VII:807–13 (gun no longer works), VII:818, VII:819, W:3–31 (4 Detta Walker; 20 Detta Walker), W:303–7
SUSANNAH DEAN’S OTHER SELVES:
HOLMES, ODETTA: Odetta Holmes was the birth name of Roland’s ka-tet mate SUSANNAH DEAN. Odetta was the only child of the dentist/inventor DAN HOLMES and was sole heir to the HOLMES DENTAL INDUSTRIES fortune. At the age of five, Odetta was hit on the head by a brick dropped by the psychopath JACK MORT, and her personality fractured, resulting in the birth of DETTA WALKER, who shared Odetta’s body if not her opinions.
Odetta Holmes was a socially conscious young woman who was active in the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s. However, Detta Walker had a very different way of dealing with the oppression she faced from an unjust, prejudiced society. Her angry reaction was to take personal vengeance upon white boys (whenever the opportunity arose), and at the white world, by shoplifting from stores such as Macy’s.
Detta and Odetta lost their legs from the knee down in 1959, when Jack Mort once again entered their shared life. At that time, Mort pushed them in front of an A train at CHRISTOPHER STREET STATION, in NEW YORK CITY. After this tragedy, an angry Detta Walker gained more and more waking time.
For years, Detta and Odetta lived their separate lives, each unaware of the existence of the other. They were finally united by Roland, who (while occupying Jack Mort’s body in our world) forced Mort to commit suicide in front of the very train which had severed Detta/Odetta’s legs. Witnessing this event through one of the magical BEACH DOORS while simultaneously seeing each other reflected in Roland’s borrowed gaze forced the two women to confront each other. They united to create the much stronger personality of Susannah Dean, wife of EDDIE DEAN. For page references, see DEAN, SUSANNAH, listed a
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SUSANNAH-MIO: While traveling TODASH, our tet sees this piece of graffito written on the fence around the Vacant LOT in NEW YORK CITY: “Oh Susannah-Mio, divided girl of mine, Done parked her RIG in the DIXIE PIG, in the year of ’99.” Although our tet does not yet know it, Susannah-Mio refers to the combined personalities of Susannah Dean and MIA, daughter of none. For page references, see DEAN, SUSANNAH, listed above
WALKER, DETTA: The angry, vindictive personality of Detta Walker gained life when five-year-old ODETTA HOLMES was hit on the head by a brick dropped by the psychopath JACK MORT. She and Odetta lost their legs from the knee down in 1959, when Mort once again attacked, pushing their shared body in front of an A train at CHRISTOPHER STREET STATION in NEW YORK CITY. This second tragic event gave angry Detta more waking time than she had previously enjoyed and allowed her to do what she liked best—tempt, tease, and torture white boys as well as shoplift from white-owned businesses such as Macy’s.
Although they shared a body, Detta and Odetta were completely different women. While Odetta was both wealthy and educated, streetwise Detta took pride that she “didn’t go to Morehouse or no house.” While Odetta believed in social justice and was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s, Detta had little faith in the justice meted out by white society and figured she’d be better off creating her own. This usually resulted in aggressive acts against those who angered her, or who she felt had treated her unfairly.
Although Roland succeeded in uniting Detta and Odetta at the end of The Drawing of the Three, creating the much more stable personality of SUSANNAH DEAN, Detta continues to make appearances throughout the last three books of the Dark Tower series. In fact, when it comes to facing the demon-spirit MIA, Detta proves to be as great an ally to Susannah and her ka-tet as she once was an enemy to Roland and EDDIE during their long travels along LOBSTROSITY Beach. For Detta’s page references, see DEAN, SUSANNAH, listed above
SUSANNAH’S PRESENT ASSOCIATES:
BELLMAN: VI:94
BUSKER: Susannah-Mio sees and hears this busker on her way to the DIXIE PIG. He is playing “Man of Constant Sorrow,” a song which inundates Susannah’s mind with memories of her days as ODETTA HOLMES, a Civil Rights activist. The busker’s music, combined with Susannah’s memories, touches MIA’s heart and fortifies what good exists inside her. VI:334, VI:338–39, VI:340, VI:347–57
CABBIE (GIVES SUSANNAH/MIA A LIFT TO THE DIXIE PIG): See TAXI DRIVERS: TAXI DRIVER NUMBER THREE
CHAP: See MORDRED, listed separately
DAMASCUS, TRUDY: See GUTTENBERG, FURTH, AND PATEL: DAMASCUS, TRUDY
EXOTIC HOTEL RECEPTIONIST: See PLAZA–PARK HYATT CHARACTERS: RECEPTIONISTS
GIRL SCOUTS: Like MATHIESSEN VAN WYCK, these two Girl Scouts are mesmerized by SUSANNAH/MIA’s SCRIMSHAW TURTLE. Susannah makes them move on, since they are not as useful to her as Mats. VI:87
JAPANESE TOURISTS AT THE PLAZA: See PLAZA–PARK HYATT CHARACTERS: JAPANESE TOURISTS
MIA: See MIA, listed separately
RAT, MR.: See MIA, listed separately
VAN WYCK, MATHIESSEN (MATS): Mats is the second assistant to the Swedish ambassador. He is also the first person SUSANNAH DEAN mesmerizes with her SCRIMSHAW TURTLE. Mats pays for SUSANNAH-MIO’s room at the PLAZA–PARK HYATT hotel. He also gives her all of his cash. In return, Susannah uses hypnotic suggestion to assure his regular bowel movements (one of Mats’s problems) and to make him cease worrying about his wife’s affair. VI:83–89, VI:93, VI:94 (indirect), VI:256, VI:349, VII:143
SWEDISH AMBASSADOR: VI:85, VI:88
WIFE (UNNAMED): She is having an affair, and this causes Mats tremendous grief. VI:85, VI:88
HER LOVER: VI:85, VI:88
WOMAN WITH STROLLER: VI:75
DETTA WALKER’S ASSOCIATES:
DETTA/ODETTA’S “A TRAIN” ACCIDENT ASSOCIATES:
ELDERLY WHITE BUSINESSMAN: This man gave his belt to the OLD BLACK WOMAN who was trying to save Detta/Odetta’s legs. II:216
ESTEVEZ, JULIO: An ambulance worker who helped to save Detta/Odetta’s life after her legs were amputated by the A train at CHRISTOPHER STREET STATION. He was deeply disturbed by her split personality. Julio belonged to the bowling team THE SPICS OF SUPREMACY. II:211–12, II:214–20 (present)
BASALE, MIGUEL: One of the guys on Julio Estevez’s bowling team. II:211
OLD BLACK WOMAN: This elderly lady jumped onto the tracks to make tourniquets around Detta/Odetta’s bleeding thighs, thereby saving her life. She was later given a Medal of Bravery by the mayor. The only other people to help in the rescue effort were a white kid who called for an ambulance and an old businessman who loaned his belt. II:215–16
PARAMEDICS (THE BOBBSEY TWINS): II:211, II:217–20 (present)
SHAVERS, GEORGE: The intern from SISTERS OF MERCY HOSPITAL who was part of the “Emergency Ride” program. He helped to keep Detta/Odetta alive during her ambulance ride. Like JULIO ESTEVEZ, he knew that there was something profoundly wrong with DETTA/ODETTA’s mind. II:211–20
YOUNG WHITE GUY: This young man called for an ambulance while most of the A train commuters just stood and stared. II:215
DETTA’S MACY’S ASSOCIATES: Detta Walker liked to shoplift from this department store.
FLOORWALKER: II:221, II:222, II:223
HALVORSEN, JIMMY: Halvorsen was the Macy’s store detective who caught Detta shoplifting. His jiggling belly resembled a sack of potatoes. II:221–23, II:227
SALESGIRL #1: II:202–3, II:208
SALESGIRL #2: II:208
DETTA’S OTHER ASSOCIATES:
FRAT BOY: He was one of the many white boys cock-teased by vengeful Detta. II:195–96
HORNY BOYS IN ROADSIDE PARKING LOTS: VI:237
ODETTA HOLMES’S ASSOCIATES:
BEASLEY, JESSICA: Jessica Beasley was Odetta’s mother’s friend. She suffered the indignity of two false pregnancies. V:121
BLUE LADY: See SISTER BLUE, listed below
CARVER, MOSES (POP MOSE): See TET CORPORATION: FOUNDING FATHERS
CYNTHIA: Odetta’s friend. IV:626
FEENY, ANDREW: Odetta’s chauffeur. II:185–93, II:197, II:242, II:294, III:258, VI:219, VII:555
FOLK CLUB BOYFRIEND: This young man introduced Odetta to the folk music she grew to love. II:199
FREEMAN, NATHAN: Nathan Freeman took sixteen-year-old Odetta Holmes to the Spring Hop. VI:101
GIRL AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (STORYTELLER): At a college hen party, this girl told a story about a young woman on a long car trip who was too embarrassed to tell her friends that she needed to stop and pee. Her bladder burst and she died. VI:62
GIRL WHOSE BLADDER BURST: VI:62
GRANDMOTHERS (MATERNAL AND PATERNAL): VII:643
HOLMES, ALICE (MOTHER): See HOLMES, ALICE, listed separately
HOLMES, DAN (FATHER): See HOLMES, DAN, listed separately
HOLMES DENTAL: See HOLMES DENTAL INDUSTRIES, listed separately
HOWARD: Doorman, Greymarl Apartments. II:190–93
LEON: Odetta’s friend. He was with her in the OXFORD TOWN prison. The guards called him a pinko fag. III:15
MURRAY, PROFESSOR: Professor Murray taught medieval history at COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. In this class Susannah learned the story of KING ARTHUR and his betraying son/nephew, MORDRED. VI:107
OVERMEYER, PROFESSOR: Professor Overmeyer taught Psych 1 at COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. Odetta took his class as an undergraduate. VI:68
PIMSY: Odetta’s beloved childhood pet. VII:123–24, VII:519
SISTER BLUE (BLUE LADY): Sister Blue (often called Blue Lady) was ODETTA HOLMES’s maternal aunt. Her real name was Sophia, but she earned her nickname thanks to her fondness for the color blue. After attending Aunt Blue’s wedding, Odetta was hit on the head by a brick thrown by the psychopathic JACK MORT. Mort’s brick cracked her skull and gave birth to Odetta’s second personality, that of nasty DETTA WALKER. For some reason, Detta blamed Aunt Blue for her accident and as a result developed a particular abhorrence for both
her aunt and the beautiful white-and-blue wedding plates that Aunt Blue received from the Holmes family.
The Blue Lady’s white-and-blue china forspecial plates play an important part in Wolves of the Calla. First, they are identical to the plates from which MIA eats in her magical BANQUETING HALL. Second, they bear an uncanny resemblance to the plates thrown by the SISTERS OF ORIZA. However, unlike Sister Blue’s forspecial plates, the deadly weapons thrown by the Sisters are made of titanium and are honed to a murderous sharpness. While in the Calla we also find out that the delicate blue webbing found on the plates actually resembles the young rice plants called ORIZAs, named after the goddess of the rice. II:194, II:235–36, II:277, II:324, II:388, III:266, IV:650, V:76 (Blue Lady), V:84 (Blue Lady), VI:375
