Amanda Sweden answers “The demon rape sequence seems so out of...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3):

The demon rape sequence seems so out of place and not needed, does anyone think it adds anything to the book?

Amanda Sweden Ugh this was the only part of the series that made me uncomfortable so far. Technically it wasn't rape since Suzannah grabbed the demon's attention wi…moreUgh this was the only part of the series that made me uncomfortable so far. Technically it wasn't rape since Suzannah grabbed the demon's attention with the intention of seducing it. It was consensual, just really unpleasant. Like in the first book...when Jake wandered into that ring, Roland had to encounter that female demon. To avoid sex with the demon in THIS book would be somewhat inconsistent given previous happenings. This being said...it was very uncomfortable to read, but that is who Stephen King is. He is a writer who does not believe in writing happy endings for the sake of pleasing his readers. Despite writing fiction, the results of his stories are realistic in the sense that there is no balance between good and bad in the world. Good is possible but so is bad and sometimes no matter what you do, a negative outcome occurs. Think about it...he kills children mercilessly in so many of his stories...to him rape, or pressured sex in this case is just another realistic negative thing that takes place in the real world, so to him it should exist in his books. He is a twisted individual which is why he is so successful as a writer. (less)

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