Tyler+L

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe The main character in the story is Colin Smith. He wasn’t a very good kid because he was always stealing but had reasons to steal. His family had very little money at all because his father died. They received money from his death but the family pretty much blew it on unnecessary things such as expensive coats, and the money was gone quickly. Colin and his friend robbed a bakery and stole money. They thought they got away scotch free but the police showed up at his door and questioned him. The police returned many more times until they had enough evidence and arrested him for stealing. As a punishment, he was sent to a juvenile prison in Borstal. The head of the prison saw that he was tall and lanky, and would make a good runner. He didn’t want to make him a good runner for no reason, he just wanted him to win the long distance race against the other prison and get the trophy. Colin didn’t see this at first and began running early in the mornings. He contemplated running away many times because they trusted him to run outside of the prison and return. The day of the race finally came and he was ready to run. The race starts and he runs with very little effort to keep up with the others who were running in front of him. He realizes that he can beat any of the other runners so he takes a path off of the course that makes him run further. The path meets back up with the normal course and he’s still way ahead of the others. Realizing that he was only running to win a stupid trophy for the head of the prison, he purposely loses the race. //Colin//- He is the main character of the story and steals money from a bakery with the help of his friend. He’s a tall, lanky kid who’s built perfectly to run. //Mrs. Smith//- She is Colin’s mother. She answers to the police at the house and was questioned by them a few times. //Mike//- He is Colin’s friend and accomplice of the robbery. He only got off with probation for the robbery because it was his first incident with the police. // “You see, by sending me to Borstal they’ve shown me the knife, and from now on I know something I didn’t know before: that it’s war between me and them.” // Colin will never work with the police and by sending him to Borstal, it’s making him dislike them even more. He’s trying to say that it will always between them and he will never cooperate with them. // “As for me, the only time I’ll hit that clothes line will be when I’m dead and a comfortable coffin’s been got ready on the other side.” // He will never do anything for the governor or any authority because they’re just using him. He goes to the extent to say that he will never come in first place unless he would die. // “The work didn’t break me; if anything it made me stronger in many ways, and the governor knew, when I left, that his spite had got him nowhere.” // The governor thought that his quietness meant that he was going to win the race. He underestimated Colin and opened himself to be deceived. Colin learned a lot even though he had to do a lot of hard work too. ** Study Questions: ** // What’s the significance of running to Colin? // Running was very important to Colin because it was his way to deal with his troubles. He was always running from the police and as a result, running from his troubles. When he was at Borstal, they trusted him to run long distances outside of the prison and to return. He contemplated running away many times but he liked being allowed to run with nobody following him. His running was sort of a temporary running away from his troubles at the prison but he liked the runs because he felt free from the confinements. // Overall, does Colin win or lose? // Although he purposely lost the race, he won in the end. Losing the race was a way that he stood up to the authorities. He knew he was being used and took his stand and lost the race. The governor underestimated him and allowed himself to be deceived by his quietness. Colin losing the race was his way to take his stand and stand up to the people that thought they had control of him. // Were the police corrupt? // Yes and no. They first began by questioning him and his mother, but they were very rude and threatening. They kept saying they would lock him up for five years. The police were very persistent and continued to question and heckle him. In the end, they sent him to Borstal for 2 years.
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