The Long Walk

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1979

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2, Chapters 3-6

Part 2, Chapters 7-9

Part 2, Chapters 10-12

Part 2, Chapters 13-16

Part 3

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Part 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Starting Out”

Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

Ray Garraty’s mother drops him off in a guarded parking lot in Maine. Other boys are assembling, and Ray worries that he should have brought a pack similar to theirs. His mother, clearly distressed, urges him to change his mind, and he worries that if she becomes more emotional, she’ll get in trouble with the guards. She gives him cookies, and he forces himself to stay stoic.

After she drives away, he introduces himself to another boy, Peter McVries. They compare their weights and briefly discuss strategy. Garraty and McVries introduce themselves to Hank Olson and Art Baker, and Ray privately evaluates their appearances, comforting himself that Olson will burn out faster than he will. Olson points out a spot near the starting line and tells the other boys that last year a boy who was too terrified to begin the Walk received three tickets there.

A jeep full of soldiers approaches. The Major—a tall and intimidating man with sunglasses and a pistol in his belt—tells the boys to remember “Hint Thirteen:” Always try to “conserve energy.” Garraty reflects that he admires the Major and remembers that his father, though a political dissident, also admired the man.

The Major takes roll, and the boys take their numbers when their name is called. As 9am approaches, cars leave the parking lot; the drivers are going home to watch the televised Walk. Garraty observes a quiet boy named Stebbins, who doesn’t speak to the Major. Soldiers pass out belts with pockets of high-energy concentration paste. The boys try to hide their nervousness.

At 9am, the boys start walking. The half-track of soldiers travels next to them, and small radar dishes track each boy’s speed. They must maintain a speed of four miles per hour. Stebbins receives a below-speed warning, which Olson thinks is a smart strategic move on his part, believing that Stebbins now understands the expected limitations. Each boy gets three warnings; after the fourth warning, the boy is eliminated from the Walk by being fatally shot.

Garraty talks to McVries as they walk, noting that the route goes seven miles from his hometown and that he looks forward to seeing his mother and girlfriend. Gary Barkovitch, who isn’t very friendly, gets three warnings while trying to extract a stone from his shoe. The Major drives by to tell them that the longest distance achieved by the entire starting field of Walkers is 7.75 miles.

As they pass groups of spectators, Garraty remembers watching a Walk when he was 10 years old. He and his father witnessed a boy screaming in pain; that night, his father made an angry phone call, and his mother urged him not to talk about politics in case someone else heard him.

A girl with a “Go-Go-Garraty” sign cheers him on, and Garraty impulsively runs off the road to kiss her. He receives a warning.

Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary

A boy named Harkness asks for Garraty’s name and number and records them in a notebook. He says he’s recording everyone’s information because he’s writing a book. They’ve walked six miles, and Garraty wonders how the approaching thunderstorms will affect them. Stebbins remains alone. As they approach a crowd of spectators, policemen keep the bystanders from interfering with the Walkers. A woman is restrained as she attempts to chase after her son, Percy.

A boy named Curley has a charley horse, which leads to his first warning. He struggles to rub it out as he continues walking, and the other boys are fascinated by and worried about what will happen next. He receives his fourth warning, and the soldiers shoot him. Stebbins steps in Curley’s blood, and Garraty feels disdain. The Major is pleased that so many of them made it nine miles. The spectators learn that Curley was ticketed out, and they cheer. As they enter Limestone City, more streets are lined with spectators. The boys compare their food, and Garraty calls for a canteen. When the soldier brings it to him, he can’t resist reaching out to touch the soldier’s gun.

The boys hear various rumors through the grapevine, and like a game of telephone, the rumors about impending weather and other boys’ stamina grow. Ewing develops terrible blisters and is clearly in pain. He’s soon executed. Garraty reflects that he’s tired.

Part 1 Analysis

The first chapter immediately establishes both the excitement and naivete of the boys who participate in the Walk. Garraty’s mother’s anxiety is initially depicted as overly emotional, but once the stakes of the game are established—in particular, that boys will die on this Walk—his mother’s reluctance to see him participate is completely understandable. The dystopian setting is immediately clear, but the boys seem aware of what they’re getting into. The narrative doesn’t reveal the reason for the Walk or whether joining is mandatory; Stephen King deliberately includes few details of worldbuilding, instead focusing on character development.

As the Walk begins, the narrative reveals more about the scope of the surveillance. Rather than detailing about the technology that monitors the boys, King uses a “less is more” approach that achieves terrifying brevity. Because the narrative doesn’t explicitly lay out the rules, the “reveal” moment—that a boy will be executed upon the fourth warning—seems even more jarring and horrifying. Similarly, the abrupt introduction and lack of explication of the Major confirm his unquestionable superiority. The narrative establishes the almost reverent attitudes toward the Major, and while it doesn’t explicitly describe how he rose to power, this dictatorial figure clearly wields major military power and an almost priestly/godly aura. The novel emphasizes the boys’ dehumanization, as it uses last names instead of first names. More often, it refers to boys by their number rather than by name. The expectations of various Walkers make the event even sadder as the narrative reveals their disparate confidence levels.

Garraty emerges as a likable, if naive, protagonist. Through limited omniscient narration, the reader accesses Garraty’s internal monologue and learns that Garraty’s father was a political dissident whose views led to some kind of punishment. As the only representative of Maine, Garraty occupies a limelight that incurs the envy of some of the other boys. Garraty feels comforted by the presence and promise of women. Although he disregards his mother’s fears, he misses her when she’s gone; and even though he kisses another girl, he feels guilty about disrespecting his girlfriend. The unnamed girl whom Garraty seeks out on the sidelines provides him with momentary comfort that he believes he deserves.

The relationships among the Walkers introduces the theme of Male Friendship and Masculinity given that the Walkers are all male. The relationship between the Walkers and spectators offers an odd mix of anonymity and intimacy: The spectators see the Walkers perform bodily functions and witness them at their lowest point (even witnessing most of their deaths). The spectators have learned much about the Walkers from the media and believe that they’re entitled to a feeling of ownership. Some of the Walkers believe that they’re entitled to the praise and admiration of the spectators; others feel uncomfortable when they confront this.