McVries had said from early on in the book that eventually he would just sit down when he was too tired. I didn't think he would actually do this, especially when there was only three people left in the walk. Some of the other guys went on until they were crawling on the ground and they just couldn't move anymore, which is what I thought McVries would have done. Instead, he just said, "No, Ray, its time to sit down," and then he did (367).
When he did sit down, and after the soldiers were ready to shoot him, Garraty said "No! Me! Me! Shoot Me!" (367). This surprised me because McVries is somebody that he's only known for five days. Garraty had walked very far (they were approaching Boston at this time) and he wanted to win really badly, so it shows how much he liked McVries that he was willing to give his life for him. I know McVries had saved Garraty's life twice already, and Garraty was probably trying to return the favor, but it still was a really big act on Garraty's part.
Here's a drawing somebody made of the scene:
Weird picture. Looks like something from some anime. Anyways, Ray and McVries definitely formed a bromance over the 5 days they knew each other. When Ray went insane and earned his three warnings, McVries stepped in and saved him. McVries got himself a warning in the process but still risked himself to save Ray. When McVries forfeits, Ray tries to return the favor for him. He doesn't do this because he feels the need to pay McVries back but because he genuinely cares for him. It struck me that Ray pleaded with the guards, begging that they shoot him and not McVries. He cared so much for his friend that he was willing to give his life for him. Additionally, I was surprised that McVries just calmly sat down and gave up. Ray tried to force him up but he refused and "looked like a world-beaten monk" (320). McVries was smiling the whole time and seemed to have come to terms with his fate. I wonder how things would've differed if McVries had outlived Stebbins. Then it would've been Ray and McVries the two best friends. Do you think Ray still would've won? Do you think it'd be like The Hunger Games where Peeta and Katniss both risk their lives to win together?
ReplyDeleteI think that if McVires outlived Stebbins it would have been a big change. Ray and McVires developed a really strong friendship and i think it would be too hard for one to outlive the other. I don't think either one would have been able to live with themselves. Honestly, i was expecting that ending. I thought that Stephen King would be so eager to throw us off and play with our emotions that he would create that ending. But it didn't happen. I think this is an easier ending, honestly.
DeleteThat's how I think should have ended. I think McVries and Garraty both should have made it out alive in the same way Katniss and Peeta did, and then I think they should have done something to stop The Long Walk from happening in the future. Considering that its a horror story by Stephen King though, I knew that wasn't going to happen. I think that if the author chose to kill Stebbins first, the book still would have ended similarly. At the end of the book, Garraty went to go tell Stebbins that he was giving up. Garraty still would have done this, except he would telling McVries that he was giving up instead of Stebbins.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. (Also, this is a weird picture it makes me feel sad.)
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