The Long Walk
The Long Walk
By Stephen King
Early on in his career, between 1977 and 1984, Stephen King published five
novels under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. The second, The Long Walk, was
released in 1979 as a follow-up to the success of “Bachman’s” first novel, Rage. King
originally wrote The Long Walk in the fall of 1966 and the spring of 1967, while a
freshman at the University of Maine. Submitting it to the Bennett Cerf/Random House
first-novel competition in 1967 it was unceremoniously rejected, and King shelved the
novel. To understand this story one would need to understand the author himself. As his
first completed novel, this story possesses several sub-texts of perseverance, human
spirit, and an ultimate fear of failure that seems to reflect something personal. Set in a
dystopian present the plot, in itself, is simple. In a totalitarian version of the United States
an annual contest is held where 100 boys compete. Walking, without being allowed to
stop and accompanied by armed soldiers, until only one is left alive.
In the introduction ‘Why I Was Bachman’ (King, 1985, p.X) to the omnibus
collection of four of these novels, King speaks of The Long Walk as ‘full of windy
psychological preachments (both textual and sub textual)’. But as a new aspiring novelist,
the core of the story reflects King’s fears of the future and the uncertainties of success. Its
protagonist is that of Ray Garraty, a 16-year-old who often acts on instinct, and doesn’t
seem to understand his motivations, or himself, very well. His motives for volunteering,
rather than being picked at random, remain unknown throughout the story. He is quickly
revealed to be an engaging and friendly person that easily makes acquaintances.
However, these uneasy friendships are quickly strained with thoughts of their
impending futures. Preparing to embark on a career in such a competitive field, the theme
of
By Stephen King
Early on in his career, between 1977 and 1984, Stephen King published five
novels under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. The second, The Long Walk, was
released in 1979 as a follow-up to the success of “Bachman’s” first novel, Rage. King
originally wrote The Long Walk in the fall of 1966 and the spring of 1967, while a
freshman at the University of Maine. Submitting it to the Bennett Cerf/Random House
first-novel competition in 1967 it was unceremoniously rejected, and King shelved the
novel. To understand this story one would need to understand the author himself. As his
first completed novel, this story possesses several sub-texts of perseverance, human
spirit, and an ultimate fear of failure that seems to reflect something personal. Set in a
dystopian present the plot, in itself, is simple. In a totalitarian version of the United States
an annual contest is held where 100 boys compete. Walking, without being allowed to
stop and accompanied by armed soldiers, until only one is left alive.
In the introduction ‘Why I Was Bachman’ (King, 1985, p.X) to the omnibus
collection of four of these novels, King speaks of The Long Walk as ‘full of windy
psychological preachments (both textual and sub textual)’. But as a new aspiring novelist,
the core of the story reflects King’s fears of the future and the uncertainties of success. Its
protagonist is that of Ray Garraty, a 16-year-old who often acts on instinct, and doesn’t
seem to understand his motivations, or himself, very well. His motives for volunteering,
rather than being picked at random, remain unknown throughout the story. He is quickly
revealed to be an engaging and friendly person that easily makes acquaintances.
However, these uneasy friendships are quickly strained with thoughts of their
impending futures. Preparing to embark on a career in such a competitive field, the theme
of
Bibliography: /1970 's/1978/The%20Long%20Walk%20-%201978.pdf (Original work published 1979) Stephen King (2013) Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King StephenKing.com (2013) various sections Retrieved from http://www.stephenking.com/index.html