[Criticism] Stephen King's Walk or Die: between anguish and courage

Young boys, would you be ready to participate in the toughest race ever? This is what a hundred boys challenged themselves in Stephen King's Walk or Die . Do not wait any longer, enter into fear, fear and torture through the pages of this novel!

Published in 1979 in the United States, The Long Walk is a dystopian anticipation novel. This novel is published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, which actually hides the identity of Stephen King who will be revealed a few years later. Marche ou Crève is considered King's best book published under this pseudonym, and that's no coincidence¹! 

March or Die takes place in the (seemingly distant) future where the United States has become a military-led dictatorship. Every year, a march bringing together one hundred boys under the age of eighteen is organized. The goal of the race? Win it, of course. At the key of this is promised a "prize", which the winner can choose from anything he wants. Having become super popular, this race is awaited by thousands of spectators in the streets, who follow with euphoria the progress of the participants. 

The French title, quite explicit, gives good clues about the course of the race. The rule is simple: the walker can never stop. No matter his physical conditions or weather conditions, the rule is strict. In addition, walkers must walk at a minimum speed of 6.5 km/h or risk being eliminated from the race, i.e. being shot. 

Through this reading, we will follow Ray Garraty, a sixteen-year-old boy, who came to participate in this monstrous race. The book begins about an hour before the start of the walk, where we find Ray accompanied by his mother who drops him off at the start of the race. Ray will then meet McVries, who will remain his ally during this terrible ordeal. 

The story of the novel is simple: the reader follows the protagonists during their race. So one might think that the book is going to be boring; quite the contrary. 

So why do we have to read Walk or Die? 

May 1, 9am: the beginning of the torture has sounded.

Marche ou Crève is a story that hurts. As explained earlier, runners cannot stop, or even slow down a little. It goes without saying that they also cannot stop to eat, go to the toilet or sleep. They will have to sleep while walking, do their business while walking, and every morning at 9am, they are given a bag of food to drink. As a reader, we can't help but wonder how we ourselves would have done if we were in their case. While many young people fall little by little, due to banalities such as simple blisters or stomach aches, we wonder about our personal abilities when we obviously do not have to consider being in this crazy race. Stephen King manages to make us feel brilliantly every pain that occurred in the participants. 

Potential death: between May 1 and 5. 

Marche ou Crève is a novel that faces death. Death is permanent in this narrative, since if one of the participants weakens, he dies. The subject is omnipresent, and the question is who will manage to live the longest. There are several dimensions that are to be attached to the theme of death in this book. First the survival instinct, walk as best you can, have a goal and cling to it so hard that you lose your mind. Then, to know if there is really a good reason and way to die or not, to know when should die and why. 

"McVries was pulling him. McVries again. 

"Get up, Ray, get up, you can't do anything for him, please, for God's sake, get up!"

Marche ou Crève is a book about human relationships. During our reading, we follow several boys, about ten at the beginning, each with his own personality. There is the self-confident, confident, another frightened, then another cheerful, who may not fully realize what awaits him. What we particularly remember is the relationship between Ray, our protagonist, and McVries, his racing companion. The book highlights solidarity between humans; Succeed in drawing extra strength in order to be able to save the other despite the risk of being killed yourself. All the psychological scope of the characters as well as their interactions are meticulously worked, which gives the novel a unique depth and a great source of reflection. 

What time is it?

Finally, how not to greet the author. Stephen King knows perfectly how to master the measurement of time in his novels. In Marche ou Crève, the time is both long and fast: the pace of the steps must be rather fast but, what is it long to walk without having a goal to reach. At first, King regularly informs us about the passing of the hour. Then gradually, the time is given to us only every two, three or even four hours. We get used to this rhythm at the same time as the characters, and like them we feel like we can't stop. Time passes slowly when you're in pain, but you can't stop for fear of dying. These are real psychological and physical back-and-forth that King puts his characters and readers through. The author also masters the writing perfectly, punctuated exactly so that we can fully immerse ourselves in the story. 

Marche ou Crève is a very rich novel that raises with many questions several themes such as death, dictatorship, torture or obsession. Each theme is left open for reflection for the person who is reading it. The interpretations of this book are multiple, especially because of its end (which I let you go and discover!) which is subject to debate. 

Marche ou Crève is a novel that haunts us during and after reading it, and yet it is not a ghost story. Finally, who knows?

¹: Stephen Spignesi, The Essential Stephen King, Career Press,2001