The title of the book is All The King’s Men and the Publication date for this book is 1996.
The author Robert Penn Warren was a very famous author. His life was full of many achievements that helped him become recognized. He even won the Pulitzer Prize for this book All The King’s Men. Warren was inspired to write this book because when he was younger he lived in the state of Louisiana and around this time Huey P. Long was already an established politician. Warren started out writing poetry but then turned to writing novels. His works are loved and cherished by many and even used in today’s schools. It is safe to say that Robert Penn Warren was one of America’s most brilliant writers.
This book takes place in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s. Although Warren never reveals the true setting of this book, one can conclude that this took place in Louisiana seeing how Warren became inspired in that state by a person who is mirrored in this very book. Part of this novel is in Mason City. Another place in this novel is Burden’s Landing Jack , the main character, goes there many times because this is his hometown.
This novel is mainly about the rise and fall of 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 . Readers will learn his story while they are learning about the life of Willie.
Willie Stark-He becomes a treasurer of Mason City and from there his political career takes flight. After becoming a treasurer Stark decides to study law and become a lawyer. After he receives some success he runs for governor and becomes a power-hungry politician.
Sadie Burke-She was an employee and mistress of Willie Stark. She has a crude behavior and has an outspoken personality. Later she becomes very intolerant in all the women Stark is with.
Two reoccurring motifs and symbols are The Great Sleep and the Hospital.
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 (Payne). Robert Penn Warren creates a character whose experiences and political career directly correlate to the events in Huey Long’s life. The speculations that Willie Stark is a fictional representation of Huey Long are indisputable due to the events in the novel and the characterization of Willie Stark,
At heart, Willie Stark is a good man with good intentions, but his philanthropic nature clashes with his burning desire for success. Cousin Willie’s political career was conceived out of his search for truth. After the schoolhouse incident, Willie is proclaimed an “honest man” and is thrust into the governor’s race (Warren 97). But Willie is heartbroken when Sadie Burke cruelly informs him, “You a...
The novel traces the historical lives of Victoria Woodhull, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Anthony Comstock as well as that of the fictional Freydeh Levin, mainly during the years of 1868 to 1874. The action is set in and around New York City. Also prime characters in this epic are the first women's movement and the post civil war re-constructionist gilded age, as they and their social ramifications intertwine with and impact the lives of the human characters.
Bitter about the evolution of the corruption of society, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell plays the official hero clinging to old traditions and reminiscing about the old days in No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. Delusions of a peaceful utopia during the time his grandpa Jack was a sheriff has left Bell looking at the world through hopeless eyes; a world on its knees with only one explanation for its demise: Satan. Not necessarily a religious man, Sheriff Bell, when asked if he believes in Satan, remarks: “He explains a lot of things that otherwise don’t have no explanation. Or not to me they don’t” (218). Throughout No County for Old Men, Sheriff Bell is determined to save Llewellyn Moss in order to prove that justice can be served in a world now drenched in decay. Throughout the book and the film adaptation, the audience can see Sheriff Bell, a tormented old man, sink deeper into his bitterness and his hope sizzle away in the Texas heat.
Willie Stark’s right-hand man is Jack Burden. He left his eloquent and polite family to work with Willie. Jack is an extremely intelligent historical researcher that uses his abilities to dig up dirt on Willie’s enemies. Willie uses the secrets to blackmail his enemies into his submission. Often corrupt political figures indirectly pay off other individuals to do the “dirty work” and blackmail their enemies. Although Willie Starks may have been acting corruptly for a good purpose it was still illegal and wrong.
Gilgamesh ignored many of these kingly duties and was eager to become heroic and godly. "The young men of Uruk he harries without warrant, Gilgamesh lets no son go free to his father. By day and by night his tyranny grows harsher" (George, Tablet I 67-69). The beginning of the epic depicts his kingship as tyrannical and immoral, which could go without question or complaint unless the gods will it. Although considered great for his many feats such as his great walls and military expeditions, his faults could not be questioned by the commoners, which show a flaw in Mesopotamian kingship. Therefore, the gods ask Anu to create a counterpart to Gilgamesh to balance his oppressive reign. "Let him be a match for the storm of his heart, let them vie with each other, so Uruk may be rested!" (Tablet I 97-98). Enkidu, Gilgamesh 's counterpart, was initially created as a wild, uncivilized man rather than a demigod king. His position was to serve as a person that would try to prevent Gilgamesh from becoming so lofty and boastful and to make him become mature and make rational decisions. This becomes evident in Enkidu 's first encounter with Gilgamesh at the wedding: "For the goddess of weddings the bed was laid out, Gilgamesh met with the maiden by night. Forward
Foster, Benjamin R. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. Ed. Martin Puchner. 3rd ed. Vol. A. New York: Norton, 2012. 95-151. Print. 13 March 2014.
In the beginning of the book, Gilgamesh appears to be selfish. Gilgamesh’s “arrogance has no bounds by day or night” (62). Even though he is created by the Gods to be perfect, he misuses his powers and gifts for his own earthly pleasure. He has sexual intercourse with all the virgins of his city even if they are already engaged. Through all Gilgamesh’s imperfections and faults, he learns to change his amoral personality. The friendship of Enkidu helped to change his ways, for only Enkidu, who “is the strongest of wild creatures,” (66) is a match for Gilgamesh. Through this companionship with Enkidu, Gilgamesh starts to realize his incapabilities and need for his friend. When they fight Humbaba, they both give moral support to each other when the other is scared. Another event that changes Gilgamesh’s character is the death of Enkidu. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh goes through the suffering of losing a loved one. Gilgamesh experiences a pain, which no worldly pleasure can ease. By this experience Gilgamesh starts to understand his vulnerability toward death and pain. Losing his best friend causes Gilgamesh to be melancholic. At this point Gilgamesh is humbled by the fact that even he could not escape the wrath of death. Gilgamesh goes from this arrogant king to a lonely grieving person with fear of death in his heart.
The old proverb “the Pen is mightier than the sword” (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy) still holds significance in protecting of public rights. Words such as freedom, and liberty engendered the idea for democracy. Such words formed into sentences and paragraphs enlightened the public to take action against tyranny and corruption. Freedom of the press is what ensured the general masses of their public rights. The exemplary case in which the freedom of the press played a role was the endeavors of Woodward and Bernstein to unravel the corrupted politics behind the Watergate Scandal. The movie All the President’s Men depicts the proceedings of the Watergate scandal, the scheme to attack the crux of democracy: “ the open election”. Also how the two journalists of the Washington Post progressed to unveil the relationship between the Watergate Burglary and the White House. On one hand, the movie represents the role of the media in its obligation to convey the truth to the masses. On the other hand, the movie reflects political corruption and conspiracy. The accomplishment of Woodward and Bernstein presents the importance of the interaction between the media, the government, and the general masses of society. The role of the media is not only to intervene between the State and the public, but also to take account of public ideas and to apply those ideas to new policies. Also, the media acts as a safeguard to prevent the corruption of the State. Thus, the Watergate scandal signifies the significance of the media as an intermediary between the government and the public mass.
The physical and chemical properties make heroin a desirable drug. It is highly addictive and fast acting, which lure users in. The first time one uses the drug it is said to cause disagreeable feelings and nausea. But following further use it causes a sudden rush in your brain, lasting 1 to 2 minutes, that feels as if it is relieving all the tension one has, followed by a calm and relaxed state that can last a few hours (“Heroin in the Brain”, n.d.). These feelings of satisfaction and ease make this drug ...
Huck Finn - the central character of the novel and the son of the town drunk.
Gilgamesh, The Epic of. Vol. A. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner, et al. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2012. 95-150. Print.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem of a hero named Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is seventy- five percent god and twenty- five percent human. Gilgamesh is a fierce warrior and is used to getting what he pleases whenever he wants, but he is not satisfied with all the things he has. Gilgamesh is lonely and wishes for a companion of some sort. The gods notice that Gilgamesh is starting to become too powerful for his own good and decide to create another being somewhat similar to Gilgamesh, but more powerful so that he is able to defeat Gilgamesh and bring him to his knees. They create a similar being named Enkidu. Enkidu starts off as just a very powerful being wondering the wilderness by himself. He, like Gilgamesh is lonely and wishes to find someone
Tom Sawyer- A misbehaving child who for most of the novel gets him and his friends either into trouble or occasionally out of trouble.
Jim A black slave that belonged to Miss Watson but escaped after she threatened to sell him. Huck and him went off together on the river looking for the free states.