The Long Walk: Difference between revisions

Not to be confused with [[Judge Dredd|the retirement option for judges]].

 

* [[All There in the Manual]]: Only some rules of the Long Walk are mentioned, but the ones that get the most mention are Hint 13 (conserve wind) and Rule 8 (no interference with other Walkers).

* [[Alternate History]]: A blink-and-you-miss-it example where Garraty narrates about a landscape view reminding him of the German air-blitz on the American East Coast during the last days of World War II.

* [[Driven to Suicide]]: {{spoiler|Barkovich.}} He rips out his own throat.

* [[Face Death With Dignity]]: {{spoiler|Scramm, knowing full well he can't finish the Walk with such an advanced case of pneumonia, and Mike, one of two Hopi brothers who gets struck with severe abdominal cramping. Instead of just falling over and taking it, Scramm says his goodbyes, talks with Mike who bids goodbye to his brother, and walks into the escorting half-track's path. They flip the half-track off, insult the soldiers approaching them and sit down to talk while they wait for death.}}

* [[Go Out With a Smile]]: {{spoiler|1=Pete McVries}} When he feels he can't go on for much longer, he sits down in the road and smiles at Garraty as he is shot by the soldiers.

* [[The Grim Reaper]]: The possible identity of the dark figure at the end.

* [[Heroic Vow]]: Once word gets out among the Walkers that {{spoiler|Scramm has a pregnant wife after Scramm himself is going to die}}, they make an agreement that whoever wins the walk will help {{spoiler|his newly made widow}}.

* [[Jerkass]]: Gary Barkovich. Not only does he manage to make enemies out of most of the other Walkers, but he even manages to {{spoiler|goad an already-enraged and violent Rank to exhaust himself, resulting in his elimination.}}

* [[Nobody Poops]]: Averted. Much is made about how the Walkers [[Squick|unzip to pee right as they are Walking]]. As well, one Walker dies because he stopped to squat due to a case of diarrhea and incurred three Warnings as well as buying his ticket before he could even finish up his business. Also, a big deal is made about Baker [[Squick|squatting to pass a turd on the road]] and surviving, incurring only two Warnings in the process.

* [[Punctuated for Emphasis]]: Olson gives two examples as [[Determinator|he is trying to hang on for just a little longer]].

* [[There Can Be Only One]]: There is no set distance for the Walk. It just goes on until there is only one survivor.

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: A walker who dies early on was wearing sneakers, despite the rulebook that the contestants were given in advance explicitly telling them not to do so, as no other type of footwear will help develop blisters faster on long distances. Predictably, he develops blisters pretty soon, and is ticketed after walking at the required speed becomes too painful for him one time too many. Garraty even [[Discussed Trope|discusses it]] in his internal monologue.

* [[Your Head Asplode]]: The very first elimination gives everyone a good idea of how serious the rules of the competition are.