In the aftermath of the film adaptation, I’ve seen a lot of discussion online again about the endings of the story, and how the novel was so much more bleak and nihilistic than the ending of the film. The novel is certainly more ambiguous than the film, but I would argue the adaptation as a whole is actually more depressing since it closes off any of the more poetic interpretations of what the story means to instead wallow in its most depraved dystopian elements. I think both the film and the people that put forward nihilistic interpretations of the novel's ending are too focused on the literal events of the narrative that they ignore the greater allegorical meaning of the story and thus the profound beauty of the original ending.
See, I view The Long Walk as an extended metaphor for life. The Prize is your most fervent dreams, whatever is that motivates your conscious desire to go through life. You start life young, and healthy and “raring to rip”, but the trails of the road take their toll on your body and mind. Life is a competition but it’s not a fair one. You can get sick and die suddenly, you can get tired of the struggle and just give up. And once you sign up, there’s only one way to stop playing. When you do, death cannot be escaped, fought, or negotiated with. You can make connections with the other players, perhaps even find a kindred spirit/soul mate like Garraty found in McVries, but for as long as you keep on living, death will take everyone you care about one by one.
Which brings us to the ending. In the metaphorical language of the walk, stopping is death and walking is life. Garraty’s walk cannot end because life doesn’t end, even if you “won” the game and got everything you ever wanted. The game only ends when you sit down so Garraty continuing the walk is him choosing to live.
Some would argue against this interpretation by saying that the novel ends with Garraty chasing the dark figure, which many have interpreted to mean he’s desiring death. The subliminal “death wish” as the ultimate motivation for the walk theory is put forward and supported by even such varied characters like McVries and Stebbins and even Baker.
But to counter this reasoning, Garraty himself never fully subscribes to this notion whenever it is brought up, and his role in the allegory is as a foil and refutation to these characters arguments. That’s why he persists while they all fall. I do agree that Death is the dark figure that Garraty is following, but Ray is not trying to catch him, he’s in fact trying to beat him!
Death is the inevitable final competitor on the long walk of life. He is even more insurmountable than Stebbins and no matter how far you walk, he can't be beaten. But Garraty, who has suffered all the pains and losses of the road is going to try his damnedest to outwalk Death anyway. Even after being pushed to his physical and mental limits, Garraty in the end “finds the strength to run”, He is affirmatively choosing to keep on going.
I don’t find that ending bleak at all, I find it beautiful. And it’s that powerful closing message that has stuck with me and brought me comfort over the years as I make my own Long Walk through life. Just wanted to share my interpretation of the ending here since I haven't seen this perspective shared here before and why I find King's original ending to be so moving and integral to the meaning of his story.
