Stripped of all minor
details and subplots, both "Moby Dick" and the "Dark Tower" are tales of the on-going search for universal
understanding. The main ideas and symbols of both books represent man's gradual increase in understanding. They tell of desire, which was turned into obsession and even madness. The paper shows how Roland in "The Dark Tower" and Captain Ahab of "Moby Dick" are both on a quest for truth. Also, both are damned because of their quests. Both
protagonists bring along with them, unwillingly, captives of their madness. The paper shows that these two books are very
similar in other details as well. These works by Herman Melville and Stephen King are very similar in many ways including the main protagonists, their quests, those who accompany them, and the means by which they try to attain their ultimate goal.