The symbolism of the major in the long explained step

Warning: Major spoilers for the long walkMark Hamill’s bad guy is perhaps the most important character of Francis Lawrence The long walk When it comes to understanding the true meaning of the film. An adaptation of Stephen King’s novel in 1979 of the same name, The long walk Chronicle A walking competition to death which takes place in a twisted dystopian version of America.

The mysterious major of Hamill is present throughout the film, which hides almost on the banks of the story, appearing only occasionally to remind the walkers and the public of its omnipresence. End of The long walk Finally, provides a great moment for the major in what turns out to be one of the most important departures of the original novel by King.

The major, who has never given a name in the novel or the film, has a paradoxical role in the story shared by the two iterations. He has very few speaking lines and hardly only shouts hyper-masculins encouragement to competitors from the back of a jeep. However, there remains one of the most important figures in the story because of what it represents.

The major represents everything that does not go with the world of long walking

The enigmatic major of Mark Hamill is present at the very beginning of the long walk; As a supervisor of the competition, he explains the rules to the participants and officially launches the competition. From this moment, It is an omnipresent shadow that follows the walkers of their exhausting journeyBy coldly throwing behind a pair of sunglasses.

With only an indescribable military uniform and no name, the major always manages to be the most important character in the book and the film (apart from the different walkers). He is the de facto villain of history as an architect of the long walkAnd his almost sarcastic encouragement to competitors punctuate the macabre dead with a shredded exclamation mark.

The major is the real key to understanding the conditions that lead to something as horrible as the existing long walking competition. Although it has practically no personality presented and very few significant lines, the symbolic value of the major is enormous because it acts as a representation of several elements at the same time.

Arrogant and raw encouragement, he screams to the boys while their comrades and friends die one by a represents toxic masculinity which seems to be present in all aspects of American society. After the war 19 years earlier which put America on its knees, the concepts of hard work, grain, determination and “bag”, as the major is said to be the highest priority.

As a distributor of the price of the money and wish winner and wish, The major also represents the twisted capitalist society in which the long march takes place. The concept of economic motivation and very distinct “bread and circuses” vibrant the television competition on a national scale. It gives a false hope of financial improvement by determination and will, while in reality the participants have no real choice, and only one has real hope.

More importantly, the antagonism of the major offers A strong criticism of the dangers of authoritarianism and control of the non -temperate state. The major is the face of the government which oppressed its citizens to the point of eliminating freedom of expression and education, which for which the major killed the father of Ray Garraty. To understand how the long march could exist, you have to appear further than the Major.

The end of the long walk ends for the adult is better than his fate in the book

In Stephen King’s novel in 1979, The Major has a similar role as a competition supervisor, but where he is at the end of the story is very different. In the novel, Ray is the walker who ends up winning the competition, and he is greeted by the major who appears after winning. In his state of delirium, The major seems Ray as a dark silhouette signaling him forward, embodying the spectrum of death that Ray had avoided.

In the film, the major followed the two finalists of Ray and Peter Mcvries closely, and is the person who delivers the killing at the last walker to die for, who is Ray in the film. Peter wins the long march and is personally congratulated by the adult, who also asks what Peter wants for his wish.

Peter wishes a firearm and quickly kills the major, acting on the revenge that Ray wanted if he were to win. The cold blood murder of Peter of the Major proves that even if he has not undergone the same physical toll as the rest of his comrades, the optimistic attitude he maintained during most of the race was torn by the emotional assessment of the cruelty of the competition.

The adult faces extreme consequences for all the evil and the oppression on which his reign has been built. The fact that he has executed by the character who sees the most really the light which remains in the dystopian nightmare in which he lives is a satisfactory justice.

Despite a brutal education, Peter has created real links with boys who, according to all rights, he should want to dead. His ability to exploit the optimism and the beauty of despair and sorrow is what should prevail over the Major’s evilAnd in the end that’s what’s going on. It is a more satisfactory end for the major than its more ambiguous end in the original version of King of The long walk.

The long walk

7/ 10

Release date

September 12, 2025

Execution time

108 minutes

Director

Francis Lawrence

Producers

Roy Lee, Steven Schneider

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  Cooper Hoffman

  Raymond Garraty / # 47

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