The former. ("…that he dies because he’s physically and/or emotionally wiped out from the stress of the walk")
The former. I never even thought about the latter.
The former. He’s done in.
OK, well, I feel better then. Because blowing away the winner felt wrong to me.
I feel the urge to compare The Long Walk to the Hunger Games. In one sense, it’s inferior, because its dystopic world makes even less sense. We’re never given any good reason why anyone would volunteer for an event with a 99% likelihood of torturous death. It would be like volunteering for crucifixion. And, the event doesn’t seem all that entertaining for the masses. It isn’t even on TV. And why would it be held in the same place every year?
But in another sense, it’s better, because it recognizes the physcial and psychological trauma that “winning” such an event would entail. You don’t just walk out and walk back to your former life.
I forgot to go shopping, but I have now placed a hold through my library - thanks for the bump and reminder!
Are you referring to the Hunger Games movie, or the book trilogy. Because the trilogy most definitely does goes into extreme detail about the trauma the “winners” of the Hunger Games go through. The first movie doesn’t as much, but that’s because it hasn’t gotten to that point in the story yet. The second and third books spend a huge amount of time describing how Katniss (and other past Games winners) were broken down psychologically, and how you “can never go home again” and just return to your old life. So this will be a big part of the sequel movies as well.
The book, but it’s true, I’ve only read the first one. She comes out of the arena thinking “How do I let down Peeta” and I’m thinking, once the nightmares, flashbacks, and survivor guilt kick in, that will be the least of her problems.
Okay, finished reading it again - either he died at the end, or he just passed out. I suppose he died, but I would prefer it if he just passed out - it’s just completely pointless if he dies after winning after all that. Which I guess is the point.
Damn, that’s a good story!
Not uncommon in horror writers, from Poe on down.
Oh yeah, I remember what I was going to say - the thing that struck me most wrong about the story was the age of the boys. I think that would be a relatively easy fix - just increase the ages to 18 or 19. It rang false that one of the boys was married and expecting a kid; at one point Garraty says that one of his exes is married with a kid now (which seems unlikely since Garraty is supposed to be 16); at another point McVries talks about going to the big city with his girlfriend at16 and they both basically start their adult lives. Maybe things are different in the alternate reality that the book is set in - maybe they go to school until 15 then they all get married and start working and having kids.
ETA: And now that I think about it more, that could indeed be the way it is - our age of adulthood of 18 is totally arbitrary anyway.
Just finished reading the book, really liked it, but have to say - as avid walker often parcitipating in these events - that endurance of those boys is totally unbelievable.
During last such event we walked 65 miles (2500m elevation up and down) - it took me 20 hours (3,25 mph) to finish and I ended totally devastated. Our of 500 people starting, only 40 achieved average speed higher than 4 mph and they had to run downhill. Under conditions described in the book - no pauses, keeping pace above 4 mph - noone would have been able to finish even our “small” 65 miles walk and 200 miles mentioned in book is totally out of question.
4 mph may be manageable for several hours when walking on flat ground, but keeping this pace walking uphill is extremely exhausting and walking downhill is maybe even worse - knees and ankles of those boys would simply apart