The Long Distance Runner Rhetorical Analysis

In the story ¨The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner¨ by Alan Sillitoe, our main character Smith is faced with a very real internal conflict. Having to decide between what the world expects of him and what he personally deems the best course of action, which eventually leads him to ease his own conscious. Engaging in his own individual form of protest despite the difficult situation he was presented with relays an universal life message that cannot be overlooked. By taking a one man stand against all that opposes him, our main character shows us that ultimately, it is only what you think of yourself that truly matters.
For me, this style of protest began to take form three summers ago when I got a call around two o´clock on a lazy Saturday

He faces difficulties at an early age, his father dies and his mother is unwise with the resulting compensation. Smith even tells us, ¨as soon as she got the money, mam took me and my five brothers and sisters out to town and got us dolled up in new cloths¨ (1212). His early life is one of confusion and mixed morals that arguably led to his normalization of crime and robbery. When he ultimately is confronted with a difficult decision about what he truly believes to be right, he relies on his early experiences to lead him to the answer. As Smith ultimately decides to take a stand against what he sees as injustice, we see his past of toughness and stubbornness come back into

When I found out that the primary cause for this shutdown was the monetary greed of a select group of men, I was outraged. To me, this was not only an infringement on a great place of recreation, but more importantly on all of the people who have continued to make it prosperous over the years. After giving it some significant thought, I could not in any way rationalize this devastating decision without using monetary gain of the few as the single motive. This was injustice to me personally and I knew I had a right to express that