James Norman was a dead boy that Roland Deschain found in nine-inches of boiling water in the town of Eluria. The boy's body was not decomposing yet, but his skin was blue and veins were showing all over his body. A dog was nipping at the boy's body and Roland chased the dog away. After that Roland took James' Pendant, swearing that if ka allowed him to meet anyone that cared about the boy, he would give it back. Roland then buries the body.
James' brother was found in the infirmary Roland ends up in while under captor by Little Sisters. James' brother, John Norman, was another captive of the Sisters.
When John and James were fighting the Slow Mutants in Eluria, James was the first to die.