The Running Man

The final chapters take place in the air as part of an extended action sequence. Killian and Ben discuss the possibility of Ben taking McCone’s place. Killian only pitches the idea because he knows that Ben’s family is dead and that they may have been the only hindrance to Ben’s acceptance of the job.

Killian is willing to negotiate with and reward Ben, the person he has vilified on the program. He knows that he could sell Ben’s new role to the audience in a way that makes them cheer for him. Killian represents the corruption of power. He has no reason to think that he won’t be able to spin the situation to his advantage. He has the resources and the fanbase to keep himself in a position of authority. He is willing to discard McCone; his only loyalty is to himself and to perpetuating the regime.

The Running Man is a parody of restorative justice. It makes the public feel that by punishing someone who is supposedly bad, they are punishing all bad people. Killian appeals to Ben’s sense of justice and vengeance, even though he has treated Ben as an enemy. He uses the idea of punishing people like the prowlers who allegedly killed Ben’s family to tempt Ben into taking McCone’s place. But Killian doesn’t care about ideology. Killian is cynical and mercenary, and this is purely a transactional gesture. He believes that Ben would provide even more entertainment as a ruthless hunter than as a daring contestant.

Killian explains that the show is about recruiting new individuals to replace old ones: “Open your eyes a little and you’ll see that The Running Man is designed for something besides pleasuring the masses and getting rid of dangerous people. Richards, the Network is always in the market for new talent. We have to be” (372). This is one way a dystopian society fuels itself and retains power—by attracting the most compelling figures. The Network is only loyal to ratings, profit, and a higher probability of unpredictable entertainment.

If Ben were to accept Killian’s offer, he would soon be installed in one of the suites he had only been allowed to glimpse as a contestant. Earlier, Ben worries that he might be becoming what the Network says he is. For Ben, taking McCone’s place would fulfill this fear. It is understandable that someone in desperate circumstances would kill from necessity. It is more morally ambiguous to accept luxury from the people who have been hunting him and who have rallied the country against him.

These chapters continue to explore Media Manipulation and Social Control. Killian would prefer not to shoot the plane down over a crowded area, although the Network would probably be able to spin the collateral damage in a palatable way. Ben is able to exploit the fact that everyone is watching and listening, rather than having the public’s viewing used against him. This depicts a shift from the beginning of the narrative, where the audience was a liability—and possibly a death sentence—for Ben.

When Ben flies the airplane into the Games Building, he symbolically makes it to the top of the tower, where Killian’s office is. He literally destroys the top of the system. He also may have initiated a deeper destroying of the regime by galvanizing the masses to revolt. Ben makes himself into a symbol of defiance against a totalitarian society. King implies that people who were waiting for a reason to revolt will take inspiration from Ben’s defiance.