All the Kings Men is a book that
uses political workings as a front that is truly about exploring the human
psyche and the deeper meanings of living. Robert Penn Warren uses the
controversial figure of Willie Talos, aka Huey Long, to draw his audience in.
Once he has them, Warren uses intricate metaphors and southernisms to eloquently
illustrate his view of life. For example; at the beginning of the book, on page
thirteen, Warren begins his paragraph explaining the character of Willie Talos
and the passion behind his speech-making and ends up with a much deeper point.
Warren compares Talos's speeches to an unopened envelope and goes on to
describe the envelope; "The end of man is knowledge, but there is one
thing he can't know. He can't know whether knowledge will save him or kill him.
He will be killed, all right, but he can't know whether he is killed because of
the knowledge which he has got or because of the knowledge which he hasn't got
and which if he had it, would save him. There's cold in your stomach, but you
open the envelope, you have to open the envelope, for the end of man is to
know."(13) This particular quote is explaining man's hunger for knowledge
that will eventually lead to his demise because he cannot know all. Warren uses
political pretenses because much of man's nature is stripped down to the gristle
and bone of good and evil in the world of politics. Warren continues to draw
deep meanings throughout the book. As the storyline progresses, Talos's actions
and those around him, such as the judge, become more blurred between the line
of good and evil and so do Warren's conclusions. As the story becomes more
tangled, Warren mirrors this bramble by adding more layers to his picture of
human nature, thereby creating a finished product complete with
complexity.
Eleanor, I agree with what you said, but at the same time I can help but noticing that both sides of the fight (Willie against his adversaries such as Judge Irwin) believe that they are in the right, and do what they can to justify their actions. Willie knows that even though what he may be doing is wrong, the end towards which he is working justify, in his mind, the means. Meanwhile, on the other side of the argument, Judge Irwin finds himself in the right because he has made no shady deals. Therefore, when Willie comes to him for help he turns his back because he just cannot justify Willie's means. Willie cannot believe this, and both men argue to a standstill at Judge Irwin's house, leaving Willie to turn back to his shady means, sending Jack out to find dirt on the Judge. When Jack responds that he doesn't think he will find anything because the Judge is such an upstanding character, Willie replies, "Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud. There is always something." (p 223) He knows that some time in the past every politician has been forced to turn to the ways he has embraced, all Jack needs to do is find when and what it was and he will have the Judge by his metaphorical balls.
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