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 for twenty years. Another important aspect of this theme is how Jack's incomplete picture of the world around him affects his actions and decision. In the end Jack gains vital knowledge but it comes at a costly price through the deaths of his friends and father. Jack concludes that "all knowledge that is worth anything is maybe paid in blood" and it is this knowledge that allows Jack to finally move on with his life and to come to terms with many issues such as life, love, and responsibility.
When the reader is first introduced to Jack Burden, he seems to be somewhat of an idealistic man with no real ambition for himself but who is not really satisfied or happy with his life and who refuses to see the world for what it really is.
"What you don't know don't hurt you, for it ain't real"(30) is a quote Jack picked up during his college days as a history major, and which he cites as the building block for his entire worldview, a worldview that attempts to avoid the idea that actions have consequences and that people must take responsibility for their actions. This idealistic worldview seems to serve as Jack's defense against all that he doesn't understand, especially some key events in his life that influenced him greatly.
The first major event in Jack's life that greatly affected him as a human being was his parent's divorce, which led to his father leaving when Jack was only six years old. Jack's mother explained to him that his father wasn't dead but that he might think of him as dead, and that the reason he left was because he didn't love her anymore, an answer that is not quite the truth, as Jack will discover later on. Six-year-old Jack's answer to this is simple - "I love you Mother.
Jack is the leader of the boys choir group in civilization and he is the complete opposite of Ralph. Jack wants to be leader and won’t let anyone stand in his way he rules through fear and shows signs of militarism and dictatorship. He is cruel, sadistic and preoccupied with hunting and killing pigs to help the rest signal for help. His sadism only gets worse throughout the novel, and eventually turns cruelly on the other boys. Jack pretends to show an interest in the rules of order on the island, but he views the differently because they only allow him to inflict punishment. Jack represents greed, savage and the anarchic aspects of man.
All the King’s Men, written by Robert Penn Warren, is set deep in the south during the 1930’s. This is a story of the rise and fall of a political titan. Willie Stark comes from poverty to become the governor of his state. He forces his enemies into submission by blackmails, repeated threats, and bullies them. He creates a series of liberal reforms that lay heavy tax burdens on the rich and lifts the money issue off of the poor farmers. His foil character Sam MacMurfee persistently searches for way to ruin the career of Willie Starks. Sam MacMurfee has thugs and powerful political allies deep in his pockets. The two characters remind the reader of corrupt figures in politics such as the famous Boss Tweed.
Jack 's appearance is not the most attractive, in fact he is "ugly without silliness."(27) This could lead one to believe that Jack could be insecure within himself. Being surrounded by other boys who attain characteristics that he does not adds fuel to his insecurities. For instance Piggy who is the voice of reason and advanced intellectually or Simon who is honest and has wisdom beyond his years. Golding 's characterization of these boys gives readers an understanding as to why Jack may be jealous of them. Jealousy has been known to make people do things they would not normally do. Jack craves power to show superiority over others which makes him feel better about himself. However Jack 's envy and hunger for power ultimately ends in both Simon and Piggy 's demise. The forest fire at the end of the novel results from Jack trying to get rid of Ralph who is the only boy left that Jack is threatened by. Ralph is attractive in appearance and is appointed chief at the beginning of the novel, which are two characteristics Jack is jealous of. The fire is meant to kill Ralph, yet it also damages the island which was destined to be destroyed from the start. The terrifying part of Jack 's behaviour is that he must of learnt it from someone. That someone most likely being a parent or adult figure in his life. Children learn by mirroring behaviours they see, so if Jack learnt his immoral behaviour from "the majesty of adult life" (117) what does that say about the adult world? Perhaps that it is not as majestic as the boys believe it to
...176). History provides a moral and spiritual point of reference for each new epoch. In All the King’s Men, Jack Burden the historian discovers that the past, honestly considered, does not deceive, nor do its vivid object lessons lead men astray. As Jack replays in his memory the actions of the characters (including himself) in the drama of his life, he grows to understand the roles played by those characters in his spiritual development, and to love them for their true nature. By contemplating the past in this manner, Jack builds out of truth and time a foundation that will raise him to stand strong in an uncertain future.
He is respectable gentleman in Victorian society even though he does not seem to enjoy the obligations of being such. He is the guardian of Cicely Cardew, and believes that since he is a guardian he must be very moral even if he doesn’t not enjoy it. He states that “A high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one’s health or happiness” (Wilde 6). John is not content to live by societal expectations so to fulfill his wants while remaining respectable he assumes the identity of an imaginary brother named Ernest. Contrasting Siddhartha, Jack does not outwardly follow his ego but conforms to society and fulfills his desires through
Jack chose the path of the survival of the fittest, as he makes the weak suffer. The further the story develops, the further Jack causes the weak to suffer. As the end of the story Jack intentionally attempts to take Ralph’s life, a man he previously
Jack is considered one of the hunters, which means he knows how to track and kill. Sometimes it didn’t really matter to Jack what he was killing, it’s just who he is and has become as a person while on the Island. When Jack and his fellow hunters were about to go out on a hunt they would rub dirt on their faces to camouflage them in their surroundings. In the article “Sunglasses make you less Generous” by Alice Robb it states how when people cover their face so it's hard for others to identify them it makes them less generous. Studies show that “empirical data shows that masks make people more likely to violate rules and norms” (Powell, Kimberly). Jack can be considered a victim of this study because that thin layer of mud changes him from Jack to a primitive killer. Jack's soul possesses a mix of savagery and madness. Sometimes Jack doesn't know how to control himself without even thinking of being violent in any manner. Jack can sometimes get out of control about actions that occur which he doesn’t agree with just like when Ralph yells at him for not manning the fire which could have got them off the island. Some people/scientists may say that anger and strong tempers can be inherited through genes, but according the article Nature vs. Nature, Kimberly Powell says that “the link between a gene and a behavior is not connected to each other and can be set off from a certain cause” This explains how the evil that is possessed in Jack can be set off from another character in the book . These two connect by both being involved with killing or death. This just gives us a preview of how Jack thinks and wants to do
When it comes to Jack’s fear of not being chief, it brings out the worst in him and it has an effect on others. For instance, when the boys are deciding on who should be the chief, Ralph wins by a landslide. “Even the choir applauded; and the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification” (Golding 19). That is the first physical evidence of Jack being humiliated by Ralph and judging by Jack’s personality, he is not used to failure so it has a big impact on him. This motivates him to destroy Ralph and the rivalry between the two begins. Another point is that Jack uses fear and threats to control the boys. For example, when Robert tells Roger “’He’s going to beat Wilfred.’ ‘What for?’ Robert shook his head doubtfully” (Golding 176) it shows that Jack is violent and is using his...
On that fall day in 2009, Kirsten did not know that someone as intelligent and articulate as Jack might be unable to read the feelings of others, or gauge the impact of his words. [...] But she found comfort in Jack’s forthrightness. If he did not always say what she wanted to hear, she knew that whatever he did say, he meant. (Harmon 1-2)
Jack London brings man versus nature discussion into his story. The environment, however doesn't play against him for say, but does warn him from the very beginning. The audience can conclude that just like “the man” everyone is alone in the world - fighting for ourselves and the things we wish to acquire. The character created by London is isolated from the universe and fooli...
...ble life that has been led by Jack and Algernon is one of the leading symbols in the play. It is the central metaphor in the play. Both Jack and Algernon’s fake personas are their way of escaping from the burdensome responsibility of the society. They also helps them to appear far more moral and responsible than they can ever be.
Jack’s reaction shows evidence of his happiness of his new found brother. The same man that played his brother in their mind games with friends and family.
The first sentence of the book, Jack introduces himself to the readers he proudly says, "Today I’m five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe"(Donoghue 1). Throughout the novel Jack constantly reminds himself and others that he is five. This is how most children gain confidence and pride for themselves. In the article "Emotional Development" by Teresa Odle she explains how children show normal emotional development, "By toddlerhood and early childhood, children begin to develop more of a sense of self. Emotions such as pride, shame, and self-recognition begin to emerge"(Odle). Jack has a well developed sense of self especially with the way he believes he is much older and braver because he is no longer 4, he is 5. As the novel progresses Jack further develops his self recognition; when they were in the room Jack questioned whether he was a part of his mother at times but out of room he knew they were separate people. Also, Jack shows normal emotional development because he is able to recognize and respond to emotion. Ma is depressed because of the criticism she has gotten from people about keeping Jack so she eventually breaks down, "Ma’s got tears coming down her face, she puts up her hands to catch them. I’m off my chair and running at her, something falls over smaaaaaaash, I get to Ma and wrap her all up"(Donoghue 294). If children are delayed emotionally they would not be able to recognize and respond to emotion but Jack is able to recognize that his mother is sad and he responds by running to hug her. In Odle 's article she describes how children, "Can recognize nonverbal cues of emotion from one another. Preschoolers begin to distinguish between negative emotions such as sadness, anger, and fear"(Odle). Jack is definitely able to recognize nonverbal cues of emotion. Especially on days when Ma is depressed Jack is able to recognize that she is sad and he
These beliefs do not, however, hold him back for long as the society he now lives in alter his previous values and morals. A majority of the boys on the island are wanting to go after the pigs for meat. Jacks major convern is to obtain meat and as Ralph is trying to convinve him to help with shelter jack says, “ We want meat” (Golding 51). Golding is making Jacks growing savage nature blatantly obvious, as he ignores the need for shelter and simply wants to go hunt down pigs. The hunt is no longer merely a source of gathering food but has transmuted into the only activity of interest and fulfillment for jack and his hunters. Now a complete savage Jack has acquired a thirst for killing and hunting. This thirst, and abso...
Jack is the main cause of the savagery that consumed the boys. Golding shows that all human beings are savages by nature. Jack was used to be seen as a civilized school boy to a symbol of savagery in an enviro...