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The Long Walk (novel)
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==Plot== Set in an alternative, dystopian version of the United States, the plot revolves around the Long Walk, an annual, televised contest where 100 young men walk, without stopping, along [[U.S. Route 1]]. Each walker must keep pace above {{convert|4|mph}}. If a walker drops below this speed for 30 seconds, he gets a warning from soldiers monitoring the event. A walker can earn back this penalty if he walks for an hour without earning another. He is eliminated if a walker gets 3 warnings and fails to resume pace after 30 seconds. The winner is the last walker to remain in the contest; the winner himself determines the prize. Ray Garraty, from [[Androscoggin County, Maine]], arrives at the start of the Walk on the Canada-Maine border, where he meets the other walkers, among them the sardonic McVries, the friendly Baker, the cocky Olson and the enigmatic Stebbins. The Major, the leader of the secret police force known as the Squads, starts the Walk. Throughout the first day, Garraty befriends Baker, Olson, and several other walkers such as Abraham and Pearson, growing particularly close to McVries and becoming intrigued by Stebbins. The men speculate on who will be the first walker to be eliminated: when one participant falls behind and earns three warnings, he is shot dead by the security detail following the Long Walk. This brutal process of elimination will apply to all the walkers, except the winner. A walker named Barkovitch reveals to a reporter that he is in the Long Walk to "dance on the graves" of other participants, and later provokes another walker into attacking him, resulting in the walker's death and Barkovitch being ostracized. Garraty succeeds in surviving the night. Scramm, the odds-on favorite in Vegas, tells Garraty that he has a pregnant wife and will have sufficient motivation to keep going. Garraty decides that his motivation will survive until [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]], where he hopes to see his girlfriend Jan in the crowd. The walkers begin to resent the Major, and McVries stops walking in an attempt to fight the soldiers, but is saved by Garraty. In return, McVries saves Garraty's life after Garraty experiences a panic attack. This camaraderie infuriates Olson, who is now severely fatigued. Garraty reveals to the others that the Squads took his father away, and a fight almost breaks out between McVries and another walker, Collie Parker, when Parker claims that only "damn fools" are Squaded. Stebbins tells Garraty that he believes he will win, but that all walkers have a death wish. McVries tells Garraty that he will sit down when he cannot walk farther. Stebbins advises Garraty to watch Olson, who has become unresponsive. After Garraty brings Olson out of this state, Olson attacks the soldiers and is executed. Scramm falls ill with pneumonia and seems likely to collapse. The other walkers agree that the winner should provide financial security for Scramm's wife. Garraty asks Barkovitch to join the agreement, and Barkovitch agrees, as he has suffered in isolation from the others. Scramm thanks the others and is killed in an act of defiance against the soldiers. After developing a [[charley horse]], Garraty is given 3 warnings and has to walk for an hour to lose one. To distract himself, he tells McVries about how he felt a compulsion to join the walk and that his mother allowed herself to be persuaded by the thought of financial security. McVries reveals that he joined the walk against his family's wishes. Abraham tells Garraty that he did not withdraw after being accepted due to the amusement it provided to his town. Garraty begins to suffer from doubts about his sexuality and masculinity due to suppressed memories re-emerging, especially after McVries hints that he is sexually attracted to Garraty. This causes Garraty to lash out at a deteriorating Barkovitch, and Barkovitch commits suicide when the rest of the walkers begin taunting him. The next morning, Garraty finds that many walkers (including Pearson) have died overnight, as Barkovitch predicted. When the walkers arrive in Freeport, Garraty attempts to die in Jan's arms but is saved by McVries. As a response, Abraham convinces the walkers to make a promise to stop helping each other, which Garraty does reluctantly. This has disastrous consequences: Parker starts a revolution against the soldiers but is killed when nobody joins in; Abraham removes his shirt and catches cold overnight because nobody can offer him a replacement, resulting in his death; Baker falls over and gains a severe nosebleed, and is given three warnings as nobody helps him up. On the morning of the 5th day, Stebbins reveals to Garraty and McVries that he is the Major's son, and his prize would be acceptance into the Major's household. However, Stebbins has become aware that the Major is using him as a "rabbit" to cause the walk to last longer, which has worked, as seven walkers make it into Massachusetts. Baker, now delirious, tells Garraty that he cannot walk any farther and thanks Garraty for being his friend. Garraty unsuccessfully tries to talk him out of suicide. With Baker dead, the only remaining walkers are Garraty, Stebbins, and McVries. As Garraty tells him a fairy tale, McVries falls asleep and walks towards the crowd. Garraty breaks his promise and saves him; however, McVries chooses to sit down and die peacefully. A distraught Garraty is beckoned by a dark figure further ahead and decides to give up because Stebbins cannot be beaten. When he tries to tell Stebbins, Stebbins clutches at him in horror and falls over dead. This leaves Garraty the uncomprehending winner. He ignores the Major and keeps following the dark figure (whom he believes to be another walker), declaring that there is "still so far to walk" and, hoping to catch up, even finds the strength to run.
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