The Long Walk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article concerns the novel by Stephen King. For the phenomenon seen in Judge Dredd comics, see The Long Walk (Judge Dredd). For the novel by Slavomir Rawicz of escape from Siberia in World War II, see Slavomir Rawicz.
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| Author | Richard Bachman (Stephen King) |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror novel |
| Publisher | New American Library |
| Released | 1979 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 384 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-606-16924-5 |
The Long Walk is a novel by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was included in King's collection The Bachman Books after King revealed to the public that he was Richard Bachman. Set in an alternate history, the plot revolves around the contestants of a horrific walking contest, held annually by a somewhat despotic and totalitarian version of the United States of America.
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[edit] Plot summary
One hundred teenage boys (picked at random from a large pool of applicants) are chosen to participate in an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk". Each walker must maintain a constant speed of no less than four miles an hour, or he receives a warning. Warnings are given for a variety of other offenses, including assaulting another walker or deviating from the walk's set course. Walkers may "lose" warnings by walking for one hour without being warned. If, however, a Walker with three warnings slows down again, or breaks any other rule, he is shot by the soldiers monitoring the event from halftracks.
The event is run by a character known only as "The Major", who is the lead overseer of the Long Walk and a famous celebrity.
Watchers tend not to view The Long Walk for the winner — they enjoy seeing those that fail.
There are absolutely no stops or rest periods and no set finish line during a Long Walk. The race ends when only one "Long Walker" remains. The winner receives "The Prize" - anything he wants for the rest of his life. It is interesting to note that many winners of the Long Walk have died soon after the race - not because of any foul play, but because of the mental and physical stresses of the race itself. There have been contestants who actually tried to crawl at 4 mph in order to survive after their legs have given out. The Long Walk is not only a physical trial, but a psychological one as well. The story has several characters who suffer complete mental breakdowns, and most of the characters experience a degree of mental strain and degeneration from the stress and lack of proper sleep.
The Walk begins every year at 9:00 AM on May 1 at the Maine/Canada border and continues down the eastern coast of the United States until the winner is found. It is a rare event for the Walk to finish outside Maine; only six have done so. The victor of this season's Long Walk is main character Ray Garraty, a 16-year-old boy. Early on, Ray falls in with several boys — including Peter McVries, Arthur Baker, Hank Olson, Collie Parker, Pearson, and Abraham — who refer to themselves as "the Musketeers." Another Walker — Gary Barkovitch — quickly establishes himself as an external antagonist, as he is quick to anger his fellow walkers with his taunts of "dancing on their graves" multiple times. This results in the immediate death of a fellow walker known only as "Rank" who breaks the rules in an attempt to injure Barkovitch. Lastly, the most alluring and mysterious walker is a loner with purple pants. He is first seen sitting eating a jelly sandwich, promptly gaining the others attentions. Throughout the walk, "Stebbins" establishes himself as the loner, observing the ground beneath him as he listens to his fellow walkers' complaints. The only character Stebbins truly interacts with is Ray Garraty, and their conversations allude to "Alice in Wonderland" as Garraty relates him to the cheshire cat. Stebbins however corrects him, and believes himself to be more of a "White Rabbit" type.
Along the road, the Walkers learn that one of their number, a kid named Scramm — who is initially the heavy odds-on favorite to win the Walk — is married. When Scramm comes down with pneumonia, the remaining Walkers make a deal amongst themselves that the winner will use some of the Prize to take care of his pregnant widow, Cathy.
Garraty becomes closest to McVries, a scarred boy who joined the walk as a means of suicide.
The Walk comes down to Garraty and Stebbins, who reveals himself to be the illegitimate son of the Major; when Stebbins gives out, Garraty is declared the winner.
At this point, in a severely degenerated mental state, Garraty sees a "dark figure" beckoning to him. Some readers have interpreted this dark figure to be recurring Stephen King villain Randall Flagg, who is often referred to as "The Walkin' Dude" (irony detected) or "The Dark Man" (this is notably mentioned in the book The Stephen King Universe by Wiater, Golden & Wagner).
[edit] Characters
- Percy - Percy "whatsisname" was a walker who was continually visited by his mother on the sidelines. He however cracks under the strain of the game, and attempts to escape by sneaking into the woods while he believes none of the guards are looking. Attracting attention from the other walkers, Percy leaves the walking area, only to be shot in the stomach - as the soldiers knew all along his intentions. His mother appears yet again later in the walk, screaming to see her boy.
- Jan - Ray Garraty's girlfriend from home, with which he has a steady relationship with. He establishes Jan early on as a symbol of his life, and as encouragement to keep walking. When the news that Garraty was picked as a walker was revealed, Jan was extremely distraught and fought with Garraty to get him to back out of the event. However, Garraty refused and went ahead. In the first half of the book he maintains to keep walking until he reaches his hometown so he can see her, and when he finally does, they embrace for only a few seconds before he is ripped away by McVries to keep him from losing.
- Hank Olson - From early on, Hank Olson was the character who cracked jokes on the other competitors. He believed he had an edge over the other walkers, as the major told him to "Give 'Em Hell." Olson however tires very early in the game, becoming a "hollow shell." Despite his exhaustion, Olson continues to walk, seemingly oblivious to the entire world. Garraty compares his demeanor to that of the Flying Dutchman as he is manned even when "the entire crew is dead." Stebbins refers to Olson as an example in demonstrating the power of the mind in control of the body, because despite obviously having long succumbed to fatigue, Olson is capable of walking. Because Olson is seemingly out of it, his fellow walkers only watch in a foreboding pity. Olson however outlasts the majority of the walkers, until finally he admits to Garraty he "does not want to die." A haggard mess, Olson attempts to climb the halftrack, and is shot several times by the soldiers. To the shock and awe of his fellow walkers however, he continues to stand. He is repeatedly hailed with bullets, but is determined to stand and walk. Eventually, his intestines begin to spill out of his stomach "like sausage" and he finally dies after lifting his hands to the sky and shouting "I did it wrong."
- Scramm - A well-to-do young man who dropped out of school and married early, Scramm was "Vegas favorite" at odds 9 to 1. Despite being the predicted winner of this year's long walk, Scramm succumbs to pneumonia. Realizing his time is almost up, he thanks the rest of his fellow walkers for agreeing to help his wife with their financial problems. He then walks towards another walker who has developed stomach cramps, and the two head to the side of the road towards the crowd. They then flip off the crowd, yell insults, and sit in conversation. It is then that they are both shot by the soldiers.
- Collie Parker - The roughneck of the walkers, Collie outwardly expressed his disgust towards the soldiers, the game, and the crowds more than the rest of the walkers. Continually throughout the walk, he makes remark on the "damn Maine weather" and uses excessive profanity. While Ray Garraty is dozing, he wakes to hear a loud gun-shot, and thinking another walker had "bought his ticket" sees Collie holding one of the soldiers carbines. He had stolen by sneaking up on a sleeping soldier during the shift change, and managed to shoot him to death. He yells for the other boys to join the fight before he is shot in the back from behind, his chest blowing out. He falls and is able to say "bastard" one last time before firing off two shots onto the cement, the bullets ricocheting into the crowd.
- Gary Barkovitch - Barkovitch had cemented himself as a loud-mouth walker whom everyone had hoped to outlast. He first provokes another boy named Rank, which results in Rank's death. Because of this, the other walkers hated him and referred to him as "killer". McVries states several times that his only goal in life is to outlast Barkovitch. However in a touching moment with Garraty, Barkovitch admits that he wishes he had friends, and that he just didn't know how to act any other way. It is then that he agrees to help donate some of the winning proceeds to Scramm's young wife. Later however, he goes back to his previous demeanor and continues to hassle the rest of the walkers. The others realize that Barkovitch had finally snapped and gone insane, the intensity of the walk too much for him. At some point during the night, several shots are heard and Garraty asks if it was Barkovitch yet. Barkovitch however yells from the back of the crowd he's not finished yet, but screams in agony. Snapping, Barkovitch tears out his own throat, and is shot by the soldiers.
- Art Baker - Art Baker is one of the first Walkers to befriend Garraty during the Long Walk and is also one of the Musketeer group. He is also the last Musketeer (aside from Garraty and McVries) to die. He dies toward the end of the Walk when he stumbles and scratches himself. He starts bleeding internally and coughing up blood. Right before he is killed, he comes up behind Garraty to ask him one final favor should Garraty win the Long Walk. He wants a "lead-lined" casket. Garraty is sobbing and asking him to "walk a little further" but Baker can't. He also asks Garraty to not "watch 'em do it" when the soldiers kill him. He then shakes Garraty's hand, turns around, and is killed. Garraty hears the shots and is crying and sobbing so hard he can barely keep walking.
- Peter McVries - Peter McVries was a well-muscled and athletically fit young man with a sardonic sense of humor and a cynical attitude. He comes up with the idea for the Musketeer group and bonds with Garraty, and even saves his life severeal times throughout the course of the walk. Continually providing advice for Ray, he admits early on that he is probably going to lose this game, and is waiting to die. He reveals that he was once in love with a girl, but the relationship fell apart due to financial differences, resulting in his suicidal depression. He tells Ray that at some point in the game he'll "just sit down" and die. When the walk comes down to the final 3 - himself, Garraty, and Stebbins, he keeps his word and sits crosslegged in the street. Garraty attepts to save him but McVries is resigned to his fate. Before the end he opens his eyes and smiles at Garraty one last time before he is killed by the soldiers.
- Stebbins - Stebbins was the strangest of the original named group, and is the last walker before Garraty. Even extremely early on he had established himself as a loner and walked separate from the group, talking to no one. Garraty finds himself strangely drawn to him and engages in conversation with him several times. Stebbins had many strange mannerisms, often talking in riddles to Garraty in the hopes of teaching him a vital lesson. After Scramm's death, Stebbins becomes the odds-on favorite, having shown absolutely no sign of fatigue and being described as "diamonds", impossible to wear down. However, he breaks down near the end of the book and reveals to Garraty his goals all along - he is the Major's illegitimate child, and he came to the Walk to win, so that he could request his Prize to visit his father's house. Unfortunately, the Major knew all along that he was his bastard son, and made him into a "rabbit" - a tool to encourage the other walkers. Stebbins eventually succumbs and falls down dead after desperately clawing at Garraty.
[edit] Death list
The asterisk (*) indicates that the walkers were mentioned dead at the same time, meaning that there is no way to tell for sure the exact order. (Note: Most "Reasons of Death" indicated with a "?" resulted from a walker dropping below 4mph too often.)
| Order | Name | Number | Reason for Death |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Curley, ? | No. 7 | Charley horse |
| 2. | Ewing, ? | No. 9 | Blisters |
| 3. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 4. | Zuck, ? | No. 100 | Excessive bleeding |
| 5. | Travin, ? | No. ? | Diarrhea |
| 6. | Fenter, ? | No. 12 | Foot cramp |
| 7. | Larson, ? | No. 60 | Sat down |
| 8. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 9. | Toland, ? | No. ? | Fainted |
| 10. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 11. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 12. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 13. | Baker, James | No. 4 | ? |
| 14. | Rank, ? | No. ? | Fighting/rage |
| 15. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 16. | Unknown boy | No. ? | Tried to escape |
| 17. | Unknown boy | No. 45 | Fell down |
| *18. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *19. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *20. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *21. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *22. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *23. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *24. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *25. | Davidson, ? | No. 8 | ? |
| 26. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 27. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 28. | Yannick, ? | No. 98 | ? |
| 29. | Unknown boy | No. ? | Convulsions |
| 30. | Gribble, ? | No. 48 | Blue balls |
| 31. | Harkness, ? | No. 49 | "Burnt Out" |
| 32. | ?, Percy | No. 31 | Tried to escape |
| 33. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 34. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *35. | Wayne, ? | No. 94 | ? |
| *36. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 37. | Morgan, Frank | No. 64 | ? |
| 38. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 39. | Unknown boy | No. 38 | Crushed feet |
| 40. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *41. | Tressler, ? | No. 92 | Sunstroke |
| *42. | Unknown boy | No. ? | Convulsions |
| *43. | Aaronson, ? | No. 1 | Foot cramp |
| *44. | Unknown boy | No. ? | Sunstroke |
| 45. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 46. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 47. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 48. | Jensen, ? | No. ? | Panic due to hailstorm |
| 49. | Unknown boy | No. ? | Fainted |
| 50. | Fenum, Roger | No. 13 | Fainted |
| 51. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 52. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 53. | Olson, Hank | No. 70 | Climbed the half-track |
| 54. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 55. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 56. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 57. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 58. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *59. | Scramm, ? | No. 85 | Pneumonia/sat down |
| *60. | ?, Mike | No. ? | Stomach cramps/sat down |
| 61. | ?, Joe | No. ? | ? |
| 62. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 63. | Gallant, ? | No. ? | ? |
| 64. | Milligan, ? | No. ? | ? |
| 65. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 66. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 67. | Quince, Harold | No. ? | ? |
| 68. | Barkovitch, Gary | No. 5 | Ripped out his own throat |
| *69. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *70. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *71. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *72. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *73. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *74. | Pearson, ? | No. ? | ? |
| 75. | Field, Charlie | No. ? | ? |
| 76. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *77. | Klingerman, ? | No. 59 | Appendicitis |
| *78. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *79. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 80. | Tubbins, ? | No. ? | Insanity |
| 81. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 82. | Parker, Collie | No. ? | Sneaked onto half-track and stole a gun |
| 83. | Wyman, Marty | No. 97 | Lay down |
| 84. | Sledge, Bobby | No. ? | Tried to escape |
| 85. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 86. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *87. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *88. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *89. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *90. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| *91. | Unknown boy | No. ? | ? |
| 92. | Abraham, ? | No. 2 | ? |
| 93. | Paster, Bruce | No. ? | ? |
| 94. | Fielder, George | No. ? | Insanity |
| 95. | Hough, Bill | No. ? | ? |
| 96. | Rattigan, ? | No. ? | ? |
| 97. | Baker, Art | No. 3 | Excessive blood loss |
| 98. | McVries, Pete | No. 61 | Sat down |
| 99. | Stebbins, ? | No. 88 | Fell dead |
[edit] The route
- Based on details in the book, the most likely starting-point for the Long Walk is Van Buren, Maine.
- In the novel's alternate America, the Walk travels along U.S. Route 1 through Limestone, Caribou, Jefferson, Oldtown, Augusta, Lewiston, the completely fictional Porterville, Garraty's hometown of Freeport, Portland and South Portland, Kittery, across New Hampshire, and ending in Danvers, Massachusetts.
- Jefferson is mentioned as being the "Century Club" city, since it marks the 100 mile-point of the Walk. In reality, Jefferson is 287 miles from Van Buren (assuming that to be the Walk's starting point), and 150 miles from the nearest point along the Maine/Canada border (Saint Croix Junction).
[edit] Notes
- The Long Walk depicted in the novel breaks the record for the longest distance covered by a full complement of Walkers; Walker #7, Curley, earns his ticket just shy of the nine-mile point, surpassing the former record of 7¾ miles.
- The Long Walk depicted in the novel breaks the record for the most Walkers to reach Jefferson; 64 Walkers join the "Century Club" in the novel, surpassing the former record of 63.
- The Long Walk depicted in the novel is the seventh to cross over from Maine into New Hampshire, and the second to end in Massachusetts, covering 446 miles over five days and ending in Danvers.
- Ray Garraty is the second contestant from Maine to win a Long Walk, after Reggie Cotter.
[edit] Interpretations
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The ending has been a source of confusion for many people. The most commonly accepted interpretation is that Ray has either gone completely insane, or that he was moments away from death, or some mixture of the two. Some people believe that he is merely about to faint.
What makes the novel rather gruesome (and gripping storytelling) is King's exploration of the slow-paced race to death. He relishes in the walkers' psychological breakdown with great detail, as they push themselves to the limit of human endurance and test their will to live.
The story delves into several themes, particularly the survival mentality, and mental and physical exhaustion. The Hands on a Hard Body contest held annually in Texas (and the movie by the same name) explore similar ideas.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
Frank Darabont has secured the rights to the film adaptation of the novel.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
- Battle Royale: a film/manga/novel with similarities to King's "Long Walk."
[edit] Editions
- ISBN 0-606-16924-5 (prebound, 1999)
- ISBN 0-451-19671-6 (mass market paperback, 1999)
[edit] External links
- Stephen King's Official Page: the section on the Long Walk
