One hundred teenage boys participate in an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk." Each Walker must maintain a speed of at least four miles per hour; if he drops below that speed he receives a verbal warning, and can receive a subsequent warning as little as 30 seconds later. If a Walker with three warnings slows down again, he is "ticketed." The meaning of this term is intentionally kept vague at first, but it soon becomes clear that "buying a ticket" means to be shot dead by soldiers riding in half-tracks along the roadside. Walkers may be shot immediately for certain serious violations, such as trying to leave the road or attacking the half-track or obstructing a fellow Walker. The soldiers use electronic equipment to precisely determine a Walker's speed.
The event is run by a character known as "The Major." The Major appears at the beginning of the Walk to encourage the boys and start them on their way, and then occasionally thereafter. While the Walkers initially greet him with awe and respect, they ridicule him in later appearances.
The Walk begins at the Maine/Canada border and travels the east coast of the United States until the winner is determined. There are no stops, rest periods, or established finish line, and the Walk does not pause for any reason (including bad weather or darkness); it ends only when one Walker is left alive. According to the rules, the Walkers can obtain aid only from the soldiers, who distribute canteens of water and belts packed with food concentrates (apparently similar to the ones developed by NASA's space program) just before the Walk begins. They may request a fresh canteen at any time, and new food supplies are distributed at 9:00 every morning. Walkers may bring anything they can carry, including food or additional footwear, but cannot receive aid from bystanders. They are allowed to have bodily contact with onlookers as long as they stay on the road. While they cannot physically interfere with one another to detrimental effect, they can help each other, provided they stay above four miles per hour.
The winner receives "The Prize": anything he wants for the rest of his life.
It is implied that many past winners have died soon after the Walk, due to its hazardous mental and physical challenges. The Long Walk is not only a physical trial, but a psychological one, as the Walkers are continually pressed against the idea of death and their mortality. Contestants have actually tried to crawl at 4 mph to survive after their legs gave out. The story has several characters who suffer mental breakdown, one of whom kills himself by tearing out his throat, and most characters experience some mental degeneration from the stress and lack of sleep.
The protagonist of the novel is Raymond Davis Garraty, a 16-year-old boy from the town of Pownal in Androscoggin County, Maine. Early on, Ray falls in with several other boys—including Peter McVries, Arthur Baker, Hank Olson, Collie Parker, Pearson, Harkness, and Abraham—who refer to themselves as "The Musketeers." Another Walker—Gary Barkovitch—quickly establishes himself as an external antagonist, as he quickly angers his fellow walkers with multiple taunts of "dancing on their graves." This results in the death of a fellow walker, Rank, who is ticketed while trying to injure Barkovitch. Lastly, the most alluring and mysterious Walker is a boy named Stebbins. Throughout the Walk, Stebbins establishes himself as a loner, observing the ground beneath him as he listens to fellow Walkers' complaints, seemingly unaffected by the mental and physical strains. The only character Stebbins truly interacts with is Ray Garraty. In one conversation, Garraty alludes to Alice in Wonderland, likening Stebbins to the Caterpillar. Stebbins, however, corrects him: he 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
Stephen King, often referred to as the master of horror has had numerous thrilling novels and short stories published since 1967, when he was 20 years old. He was born in Portland, Maine in 1947 and was raised by his mother alongside his older brother from early childhood. King attended University of Maine for college and graduated in 1970. He graduated with a bachelors degree in English and was qualified to teach on the high school level. Not long after he graduated, King got married to Tabitha…
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of suspense, horror, sci-fi and fantasy books. He was born on 21st September 1947 in Portland, Maine. His father Donald King was a sea merchant and mother Nellie Ruth was a housewife. His father abandoned the family when he was little. After that, the family decided to settle in Stratford, Connecticut, but returned to Maine when he was eleven. According to his family, King saw his friend being hit by a train and dying although he does not recall the incident…
director Stephen King uses the fear of the unknown, supernatural events, and real life scenarios to scare his readers and viewers. By using these methods in his works he has ultimately become known as the king of horror. King has been a strong influence in the horror genre throughout the years and he still seems to amaze fans of the genre. King is a very important figure in American Literature due to his massive contributions towards the genre that Americans truly love. Because of Stephen King’s…
by Stephen King suggests that a person doesn’t have to be born a good writer; they can be made into one. This statement comes from his memoir “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”, in which he helps a beginning writer become better. King has many distinguished ideas in the autobiography. His central argument is that a writer must practice his/her writing skills, write about subjects they are most familiar with, and limit descriptions in order to give the reader their own image. To begin, King verbalizes…
Emma Kaye In order to be beautiful do you have to have a certain look or personality? When someone feels their appearance is ugly, it affects their whole outlook on life in the way they carry themselves. Self esteem and confidence play a strong role in self acceptance, if we can’t feel beauty within, then others will not be able to either. In the essay,” Beauty: When The Other Dancer Is The Self,” Alice Walker emphasizes the way she looked affected her overall well being. For quite some…
with his friends, the ones he looked after and make sure they were ok.Chris wasn't the kind of kid that everyone in town thought he was, actually he was very wise and peacemaker, The kind of bestfriend everyone would like to have.lot in Castle Rock. Stephen King wrote the story The Body and it is about four boys who left their homes to investigate the death of a young boys and on their journey they find out a lot about themselves along the way. Chris makes himself an easy target of being , Bold , Loving…
2012 Stephen King Stephen King writes some of the most terrifying suspense novels in the horror genera, using inspiration from his own life and personal fears to help fuel his wild imagination. Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland Maine, on September 21, 1947. His mother was Nellie Ruth Pillsbury, and his father was Donald King. King had an adopted brother named Victor King. When King was two his father went to buy a pack of cigarettes and go for a walk, and he never came home. King hasn’t…
Megan Karmark Mr. Hardy EL 20/ Pd. 2 December 18th, 2013 The genre of my book is suspense/horror, and this genre is a very popular one. Most people find these types of books interesting to read. The novel Carrie, by Stephen King is by far the most intriguing book I’ve ever read. This novel has a new level of scary. It’s a page-turner; you can’t put it down. This book also has very interesting characters. King’s novel contains fascinating and striking characters, the…
Seacat P.4 Stephen King V.S Edgar Allan Poe Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe are both amazing authors who have their own unique voice. Both authors have their individual style when writing scary stories. These two authors have gone through different experiences that brought them to become who they are now. Today both, Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe, are well known. These two authors use setting, theme, and characterization to develop their own distinct tales of horror, however, Stephen King is the…
Ernesto Martinez February 10, 2012 Period 6 “A Rose for Emily” Questions 1. Some elements in a Rose for Emily that makes it a horror story is the grey hair near Homer's, Tobe's willingness to help a mean crazy old woman, and Miss Emily staying in the house with her father's dead body for several days. What makes this story an example of Southern Gothic Fiction is, the setting of Emily’s old southern home, the interior of her house is very gothic like, and in a rose for Emily it contains…