Needful Things, and Leland Gaunt

[RimRunner]

Now, this is interesting. Has anyone noticed that Leland Gaunt is
actually King's quintessential bad guy Randall Flagg? I haven't seen
anyone else comment on this, so i thought would. Heres my reasoning.
In Eyes of the Dragon, te court magician, Flagg, who is OBVIOUSLY The
Walkin' Dude, is described on page 62- 63. Basically it says, he
instiated a great and bloody war between Delain and Andua. So,
immediately here, we see tat Flagg likes to pit human against human for
his own amusement. this is also seen in The Stand. I believe that Flagg
was the one who made the SuperFlu get loose. As usual, i have no proof
for this, but since when has that stopped me?
BACK TO THE SUBJECT..... Leland Gaunt and his Needful Things Store
(or Answered Prayers Store, depending on what city you're in) did the
same thing. So, we know Flagg likes to instigate a bloddy battle
between two factions (Delain/Baptists vs Andua/Catholics).
But perhaps the most damning evidence for the argument that Leland is
Randall is his name. Leland Gaunt. we all know that Randall Flagg has a
thing for the letters R and F. Randall Flagg, Richard Fannin (The Dark
Tower 3: the Wastelands), Robert Freeman, etc etc etc.
BUt Leland Gaunt doesnt fit the trend....
or does it?
Randall Flagg. Leland Gaunt. See it yet?
randalL flagG. Leland Gaunt.
The last two letters in Randall Flagg are the first two letters in
Leland Gaunt.
huh, interesting.
Also, remember Alan Pangborn's dream? Leland Gaunt standing right
behind him,and puting a hand over his shoulde, and the palm..... IS
LINELESS?
well, theres my proof. Randall Flagg is, in my opinion, Leland Gaunt,
and Vice Versa. If anyone wants to argue, go ahead. I'm open to
criticism. I ay be wrong. if you can pove me wrong, go ahead.
-Mike Cuellar
--
Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email -- always at Talkway.
http://www.talkway.com

[RimRunner]

[RimRunner]

[Jon Skeet]

RimRunner <Elfh...@aol.com> wrote:
> Now, this is interesting. Has anyone noticed that Leland Gaunt is
> actually King's quintessential bad guy Randall Flagg?

It's been discussed here. A few people think they're the same, a few
don't. Personally, I don't.

> Leland Gaunt and his Needful Things Store
> (or Answered Prayers Store, depending on what city you're in) did the
> same thing. So, we know Flagg likes to instigate a bloddy battle
> between two factions (Delain/Baptists vs Andua/Catholics).

Sure, but villains playing one party off against another is hardly new.
There *is* a major difference here - Flagg wasn't impartial; he was
leading one side against the other in The Stand. That can't be said for
Gaunt. If Flagg had pretended to just be a foot-soldier, whilst sneakily
organising things, I would be more with you.

> But perhaps the most damning evidence for the argument that Leland is
> Randall is his name. Leland Gaunt. we all know that Randall Flagg has a
> thing for the letters R and F. Randall Flagg, Richard Fannin (The Dark
> Tower 3: the Wastelands), Robert Freeman, etc etc etc.
> BUt Leland Gaunt doesnt fit the trend....
> or does it?
> Randall Flagg. Leland Gaunt. See it yet?
> randalL flagG. Leland Gaunt.
> The last two letters in Randall Flagg are the first two letters in
> Leland Gaunt.

On the other hand, the first two letters of my last name are SK. Does
that mean I'm Stephen King? (Interesting point here: if it does, then my
contradicting you proves you wrong, assuming that King is the one person
who "knows". If it doesn't, it works as a good rebuttal of your
argument.)

> Also, remember Alan Pangborn's dream? Leland Gaunt standing right
> behind him,and puting a hand over his shoulde, and the palm..... IS
> LINELESS?

Again, that's been used before. (IIRC, Barlow doesn't have any lines on
his hand in SL.)

> well, theres my proof. Randall Flagg is, in my opinion, Leland Gaunt,
> and Vice Versa. If anyone wants to argue, go ahead. I'm open to
> criticism. I ay be wrong. if you can pove me wrong, go ahead.

Can't prove you wrong, just as I wouldn't say that what you've shown
constitutes proof. It's an opinion, and one I disagree with, is all.

--
Jon Skeet - sk...@pobox.com
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet/

[Eroom Tam]

>>Also, remember Alan Pangborn's dream? Leland Gaunt standing right
>>behind him,and puting a hand over his shoulde, and the palm..... IS
>>LINELESS?
>

>This bit I remember. All this indicates, to me, is that Flagg and
>Gaunt are the same type of creature. They _could_ be the same thing (I
>certainly can't disprove it) but I don't believe they are.

Didn't Stark from The Dark Half also have palms that didn't have lines on
them? I think this is more of a cool / creepy thing King uses over and over
rather than a connection.

-Eroom

[Dan Ness]

>Didn't Stark from The Dark Half also have palms that didn't have lines on
>them? I think this is more of a cool / creepy thing King uses over and
over
>rather than a connection.

Damien, the kid from The Omen also didn't have lines on his palms - only
folds. Perhaps King took this idea and used it. It *does* work rather well.

All the best,

Dan Ness, falling burned and blinded out of a Siberian sky.
ICQ: 22704964

[headdres...@yahoo.com]

So I believe it is him for all of the reasons that you stated as well as the fact that King identified Leland as a Demon or in his own words "Satan himself" Flagg admits in the stand that he is the devil himself. Lastly there is a character like this in several of King's novels he mentions Satan or the antichrist being Flagg

[jon12...@gmail.com]

I just watched needful things again for the the thousanth time and I see this a really old old post however it just now clicked in my Head that Lelang Gaunt Is also Randall flagg so i went googling to see if anyone else had the connection and come upon this! I also think that Andre Linoge was one of Flaggs Persona's too he also loved to pit human against human for his own pleasure