Robert Penn Warren’s novel, All the King’s Men depicts the tale of the rise of a political leader named Willie Stark. Many readers have speculated that Warren based Willie Stark’s character on Huey Long, a controversial, political leader from Louisiana who was prominent during the early 1900s. Although Robert Penn Warren has “repeatedly denied that Willie Stark is a fictional portrait of Huey Long,” many aspects of the novel directly correlate to the political career and personal life of Huey Long
Following the trials and tribulations of a seemingly political powerhouse, Willie Starks, Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men” takes an intriguing twist with the rise of influence in the character of Jack Burden. Although Willie Starks is seemingly the main character of the story, Robert Penn Warren, plays Jack Burden’s evolution in the plot as the pivotal piece to the story. Watching the two of their relationship develop, is the key piece to the plot of the story. Although this novel traces
Over the course of political history in the world, consequentialism, the idea that the morality of an action should be judged merely on its consequences, has always been present in the spans of empires, republics, and sovereigns. The Prince, a composition written by Niccolo Machiavelli detailing the structure and mechanisms of government, first proposed the concept of consequentialism in politics (Machiavelli). This idea is intrinsic to politicians in governments internationally- from the freest
with his characterization of both Willie Stark and Jack Burden. Warren’s novel is an American classic because it traces the lives of two lost men as each man follows his personalized compass pointing towards complete understanding. After elevating him to unprecedented heights, Willie’s interpretation of truth returns to drag him down to the Underworld. Only when Jack learns that not even Willie can be omnipotent does he stop trying to understand everything. Willie Stark and Jack Burden embody the essence
While Jack gives the pretense of imperviousness, he is sensitive to the signals even as he excuses them. “Doesn’t it all boil down to this? If the government of this state for quite a long time had been doing anything for the folks in it, would Stark…be making so many short cuts to get something done to make up for the time lost all these years in not getting something done?” (125). Jack recognizes that men are corruptible by power, but he justifies this because of the results corruption seems
which can result in critical consequences. Jack Burden, Adam Stanton, Judge Irwin and Willie Stark are characters that with ironic traits. Jack Burden is known as the “student of history” ( Warren 372). The very fact that he is a historian is ironic, as he has come from an aristocratic and reputable family and grew up in Burden’s Landing. However, Jack lacks the ambition needed to excel in life and works for Willie, despite the disapproval of this family. He “not only lacks ambition, but all ‘essential
everything to the heart, no matter how menial the comment or action. He allows his past to rule his life as though history repeats itself without fail. The person allowing the past to repeat itself is Jack, however his so-called best friend Willie shares the blame. Willie is the reason for most of Jack’s misfortunes although Jack always has the option to walk away but never does. The downfall of man will be none other than himself. For example, no critic but the artist who created the work will see each
The search for knowledge and truth is a compelling theme woven throughout All the King's Men, and it is especially evident in the story of Jack Burden. When Jack embarks on a quest toward self- knowledge, he realizes that most of his problems in life have risen out of his lack of knowledge and understanding of people, events, and ideas. Jack's shortcoming in this area often leads him to think about the past and hinders his ability to grow emotionally, an aspect of Jack that has been in arrested development
form, beyond any meaning / We can assign to happiness" (194). Only by deliberately recalling the past can one understand the metaphysical and spiritual significance of his experiences. For this reason, Jack cannot make sense of the fateful day of Willie Stark’s murder until “long after…when I had been able to gather the pieces of the puzzle up and put them together to see the pattern" (Warren 407). The pattern of the past reveals the pattern of fallen human nature, thus opening man’s eyes to his
the political figure Willie Stark told through the eyes of his business associate and friend Jack Burden. Willie stark in his early political career is all for helping the people and trying to do what is best for them. As he gains power and the trust of his people he soon becomes corrupt by the evils of success. Characters Jack Burden- He is the narrator of this story and he is the companion of Willie Stark. He works at a newspaper company before getting a job from Willie after they become acquainted
know can't hurt you” also state this point. Examples of knowledge enslaving man are seen in the novel through the characters of Willie Stark, Adam Stanton and Jack Burden. Willie Stark is a character that attempts to conquer knowledge, even though in the end, he is overcome by the forces of knowledge. Willie did not want to be a slave to knowledge, but rather, its keeper. Stark uses information about people for blackmail, to achieve his goals. His goals for political offices ranged from Mason County
history plays an important role in the motivations and lives of all the characters. History's importance is most noticeable, not surprisingly, in the story main characters - Willie Stark and Jack Burden - whose lives focus on and, in some cases, depend upon history and how they relate themselves to it. While Willie Stark views history as a tool with which to manipulate people for his own ends, an attitude resulting in his own destruction, Jack Burden's view of history changes over time and
from a poor Lousiana family to become a demigod in the pantheon of American politics, while slowly abandoning his most deeply held principles to the prevailing political realties of the time. While not exactly matching the details of his life, Willie Stark in Robert Penn Warren's All The King's Men closely parallels the famous southern demagogue, known as the "Kingfish." The author uses this association to further illustrate his primary goal of the book - that one cannot effectively change society
In the novel, All the King’s Men, Willie Stark puts his heart and soul into speaking the honest truth to the people during his campaign as governor. Unfortunately, the people do not know that he is involved in an affair with Anne Stanton. Similar to Willie, Cass Mastern, an ancestor of Jack Burden, commits adultery by sleeping with his best friend’s wife, Annabelle Trice. Cass Mastern’s story is parallel to that of Willie and Jack’s, which causes a burden on both their lives. Located in chapter
have touched the web and then inject the black, numbing poison under your hide.(188-89) This quote is a major theme that is encountered throughout the book. Jack and the Judge, here is where we mainly see the web at work. Jack, at the request of Willie, went to dig up dirt on the Judge. Jack finds so many things out and as he exposes it everything goes wrong, the spider got him. When Jack reveals his findings to Judge Irwin, his father, he ends up killing himself before Jack has a chance to talk
reading or viewing the play, a bonding force for persons of every station. Miller’s success in this point is bred from our own pathos for Willie Loman. Another point by Miller is that, “the tragic feeling is invoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is willing to lay down his life... to secure one thing- his sense of personal dignity.” Willie Loman is tha... ... middle of paper ... ...mething greater than himself, his image, or his success. He is motivated by his love for
Cressey’s differential association theory explains that criminal behavior is learned. Applying this to Nate and Sam involves explicating their childhood and how they were raised. From a young age both Nate and Sam were conditioned by their father, Big Willie to be aggressive, and that in life you have to take what you want (take home outline). Nate and Sam’s father unknowingly conditioned them in a harsh way that made them susceptible to becoming date rapists. As a result of their aggressive upbringing
young boy name, Bobby who overcomes his fears of being fat and being bullied by Willie, one that is much stronger then him physically, but not emotionally. The basic theme of this story is to stand up for yourself no matter the situation. Willie, the antagonist of the story accidentally makes Bobby overcome his fears and stand up to him. In a way Willie could be a protagonist because he helps Bobby overcome his fears. Willie is a crazy person that doesn't know what he is doing. It all started in the
was the 70's segregation was still pretty big in Mississippi) The book starts off by telling about the main character, Willie Traynor. Willie went to collage and during his last year he dropped out. So he went to his grandmother who gave him the money to buy the newspaper in a small town call Clanton, Mississippi, that he had always wanted to buy. So after getting the money Willie moves to Clanton, and buys the newspaper. Also living in the town of Clanton was Rhoda Kassellaw, and Danny Padgett
is not necessarily the physical end to a human life, but the crumbling end to the dreams of Willie Loman, the play's main character. The three main parts to Willie's world are his job, his family, and his image as seen by the rest of the world. Although these parts are interwoven and interrelated, they are best divided and given separate analysis. The first part of Willie's world is his job. Willie is a salesman for a large company in New York. Willie's self-image and much of his self-worth