The Main’s Symbolism in The Lengthy Stroll Defined

Warning: Main spoilers for The Lengthy StrollMark Hamill’s villainous Main is probably crucial character in Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk in the case of understanding the film’s true that means. An adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the identical title, The Lengthy Stroll chronicles a strolling competitors to the demise that takes place in a twisted dystopian version of America.

Hamill’s mysterious Main is current all through the film, nearly lurking on the perimeters of the narrative, solely popping in often to remind the Walkers and the viewers of his omnipresence. The ending of The Long Walk lastly gives an enormous second for The Main in what seems to be one of the significant departures from King’s original novel.

The Main, who isn’t given a reputation in both the novel or the film, has a paradoxical function within the narrative shared by the 2 iterations. He has only a few talking traces, and does little greater than shout hyper-masculine encouragement on the opponents from the again of a jeep. Nonetheless, he stays one of the vital figures within the narrative due to what he stands for.

The Main Represents Every part Unsuitable With The World Of The Lengthy Stroll

Mark Hamill’s enigmatic Main is current on the very starting of the Lengthy Stroll; because the overseer of the competition, he explains the principles to the members and formally kicks off the competition. From that time ahead, he is an ever-present shadow that follows the Walkers on their grueling journey, leering coldly from behind a pair of sun shades.

With solely a nondescript navy uniform and no title, the Main nonetheless manages to be probably the most vital character in each the guide and film (except for the assorted Walkers). He’s the de facto villain of the story because the architect of the Lengthy Stroll, and his nearly sarcastic-sounding encouragement to the opponents punctuates the grisly deaths with a jagged exclamation level.

The Main is the actual key to understanding the situations that result in one thing as horrific because the Lengthy Stroll contest even current. Regardless of having nearly no persona introduced and only a few significant traces, the Main’s symbolic worth is large as a result of he acts as a illustration of a number of parts all on the identical time.

The boastful, roughneck encouragement he shouts on the boys as their comrades and mates die one after the other represents the poisonous masculinity that seems to be current in each side of American society. Following the battle 19 years earlier that introduced America to its knees, the ideas of laborious work, grit, willpower, and “sack”, because the Main says repeatedly, are the best precedence.

Because the distributor of the successful competitor’s prize cash and need, the Main additionally represents the twisted capitalist society that the Lengthy Stroll takes place in. The idea of financial motivation and the very distinct “bread and circuses” vibes to the nationally-televised contest. It gives false hope of monetary enchancment by willpower and willpower, when in actuality the members haven’t any actual selection, and just one has any actual hope.

Most significantly, the antagonism of the Main delivers a pointy critique of the hazards of authoritarianism and untempered state management. The Main is the face of the federal government that has oppressed its residents to the purpose of eliminating freedom of expression and training, which is what the Main killed Ray Garraty’s father for. To grasp how the Lengthy Stroll might exist, one wants look no farther than The Main.

The Lengthy Stroll’s Twist Ending For The Main Is Higher Than His Destiny In The Ebook

In Stephen King’s 1979 novel, the Main has an identical function as the competition’s overseer, however the place he’s on the finish of the narrative is vastly completely different. Within the novel, Ray is the Walker who finally ends up successful the competition, and he’s saluted by the Main who seems after he wins. In his state of delirium, the Main seems to Ray as a darkish determine beckoning him ahead, embodying the specter of Demise that Ray had averted.

Within the film, the Main has intently tracked the 2 finalists in Ray and Peter McVries, and is the one who delivers the kill shot to the final Walker to fall, which is Ray within the film. Peter wins the Lengthy Stroll, and is congratulated personally by the Main, who additionally asks what Peter needs for his want.

Peter needs for a gun and promptly kills the Main, appearing out the revenge that Ray supposed if he have been to win. Peter’s cold-blooded homicide of the Main proves that whereas he did not endure the identical bodily toll as the remainder of his comrades, the optimistic perspective he maintained by a lot of the race has been torn asunder by the emotional toll of the competition’s cruelty.

The Main faces excessive penalties for all of the evil and oppression that his reign was constructed upon. The truth that he is executed by the character who most genuinely sees the sunshine that continues to be within the dystopian nightmare during which he lives is a satisfying little bit of justice.

Regardless of a brutal upbringing, Peter created real bonds with boys who, by all rights, he ought to need lifeless. His means to mine optimism and sweetness from desperation and grief is what ought to prevail over the evil of the Main, and in the long run that is what occurs. That is a extra satisfying ending for the Main than his extra ambiguous ending in King’s unique model of The Lengthy Stroll.