All The King's Men CCQC - Graham Vert

Machiavellianism is the concept of using duplicity and manipulation in politics, or simply in one's own life. The concept and usage of this subject in literature often pertains to the inevitable moral corrosiveness of these kinds of actions. All The King's Men deals with this subject on several different levels. The book separates the most powerful character, Willie, from the audience by making the narrator a man close to him, but not Willie himself. This leaves Willie's motives and inner conflicts open to interpretation. He seems to truly want to be a transformative figure for his state, saying he is "Hell bent on making the second Gettysburg Address" when he writes his speech on page 99. Though he begins the book as a more idealistic, optimistic individual, he quickly becomes consumed by both power and bureaucracy. On page 151, Sadie Burke refers to Willie as "The Boss," making him sound more like a mob kingpin than a politician, and the cautionary tale of Cass Mastern's metaphorical spider on page 266 eerily parallels what Jack and Willie are trying to do-- though they're making their mark on the world, they're going about it in the wrong way. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.