Will Nash
How are the issues of class portrayed in this book?
Issues of class are prominent throughout the novel and add to the tensions that built up over the course of the book. These issues often manifested themselves in the form of racism. The book is taking place in the deep south in the 1920’s when racism was rampant and very harsh. Jack (the narrator) often uses harsh, racist language in spite of his extensive education. This is because he was surrounded by it. African- Americans were popularly used as slaves and probably were responsible for making Jacks family rich. For this reason in addition to abiding by societal norms, Jack comes off as blatantly racist throughout the novel. I think this provides a good sense of context for the reader about the popular views in that time and place. He would be narrating and describe a situation such as, “Then a nigger chopping cotton a mile away, he'll look up and […] say, "Lawd God, hit's a-nudder-one done hit!" (1-2) From that description it is obvious that Jack has been influenced strongly by racism. The same message could have easily been conveyed in a much less offensive manner. Another quote that says it all was mentioned in Jack description of his town after finding out why the school wouldn’t be built by the lowest bidder, “Mason country is red-neck country and they don't like niggers, not strange niggers, anyway, and they haven't got many of their own.” (76-77) The members of his community would rather pay more for a schoolhouse than have unwanted black people be brought into their community. The few abolitionists in the book earned themselves labels with negative connotation such as “nigger-lover”. That is one of the root reasons that racism was prominent in those times. Not only were the majority of white folks racist, but the ones that weren’t were treated poorly, creating a situation in which it was much harder to fight for abolition. In All The Kings Men, black people are thought of as sub-human creating a strong class divide and a completely segregated community.
race has a major influence throughout the book and influences speech and culture at this time. In the south at this time period racism is a rather normal part of life as unfortunate as it is, in the south racism is a social norm. There isn't much you can really say to change it. Through out the story time and time again we see these things come out through speech in the form of racism. ""No sale," I said. "I like mine vanilla. But now you've raised the subject, what's nigger-loving got to do with it?" (2.100). Its a subject that come up a a social norm so the way these people express their issues often become prevalent through the form of racism. Its just a part of life that these people are used too and don't see any issue with. Its a normal part of society.
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