Themes in this novel are coming of age, friendship, death, murder, insanity, suicide, challenging oneself, survival, totalitarianism, and propaganda. The author wrote from the point of view of Ray Garraty, and it was effective since Ray Garraty was the winner of the walk and could oversee all of the events during the walk. Also to note that Stephen King generally writes his novels in the third person, but this being a novel under an assumed name, it is written in the first person. Although it has not resembled anything we have read in class so far, it has resembled a book that I have read, 1984, in that there are common themes of totalitarianism and propaganda in both of them, due to them believing in "The Major", a man implied to have great power over the country, and certainly over the people, like Big Brother from 1984. SOm issues that were raised were teenage marriage, suicide, sacrifice, selflessness, and military brutality. During the course of the walk the boys are encountered with extreme physical stress from walking, but also the mental stress over the question as to their survival and their comrades. One of the boys in the novel goes insane, tearing out his own throat after some one yelled if he was ticketed, and after he kills himself, the soldiers still shoot him although he is clearly dead. One of the contestants is revealed to be married, dropping out of high school o support his wife, and although he was the clear favourite to win, said to be like a moose for being able to walk great distances and with 9 : 1 odds in Vegas, he gets pneumonia early on. As a favor from everyone, he asks if they could use some of their prize to help out his soon-to-be widowed wife, and they all agree to help. Knowing this, he goes to some other contestants who are giving up, and they all sit down.
I don't think the author could have done much to improve it, as the book is already superb in it's writing, idea, and editing. I would recommend this book to older people, as it can get quite graphic, and to people who like coming of age stories, horror, and stories of struggle.
Stephen King uses literary devices such as motifs and symbolism to enhance the story. He does this by maintaining a solid motif of survival, both mentally and physically by the struggles Ray faces on the Long Walk. He struggles physically by walking the walk, and struggles mentally by watching the others watching the walk, and overcomes all of it and feels so unrewarded in the end, but somehow keeps on going after he is told that he can stop. And the walk itself is a representation of life itself, in the way that there are good and bad people on it, the reason for it is a highly regarded and respected figure, but is ultimately very unfair and harsh, and at the end, after all those around you have fallen down, you feel the need to rest, but all you really want to do is continue on once you get the energy.
