All The King's Men: Dynamic Between Jack Burden and Willie Starks

The novel All the King’s Men is truly baffling to me when it comes to discerning the roles of Jack Burden and Willie Stark in the grand scheme of things. I am very captivated by this complex and somewhat mutual relationship that Willie and Jack share in the novel that is very intricate and difficult to scrutinize as they both epitomize two crucial characters in regards to the developing plot, and essentially, the overall story in its political setting. Regardless, it does seem as though Robert Penn Warren establishes the dynamic between Jack and Willie as virtually indispensable in some respects. In other words, Warren justifies the nature of both characters through the experiences and challenges that they have both faced in the past, whether it is personal struggles or emotional obstacles that have ultimately shaped them to be a certain way.

The novel encompasses several contradictions in terms of the personalities of Willie and Jack and the way in which they are influenced throughout the novel. Many instances of duality occur throughout the novel such as individual vs. society, knowledge vs. ignorance, and good vs. evil, which are arguably evident in both Jack and Willie alike. For example, due to the corrupt influences of society, Willie eventually comes to realize the brutal truth about politics and what it entails.

The conflicting forces of knowledge and ignorance are evident in Willie’s character in Chapter 2, when he learns that Tiny Duffy has tricked Willie into running for governor in order to split MacMurfee’s votes so that Harrison wins the election. It is only when Sadie Burke reluctantly informs Willie that he was the “sacrificial goat…the ram in the bushes” (Warren 81), that Willie must accept the ugly truth, in that he was being duped into becoming a candidate only to reap benefits for the opposing side (Harrison’s team). When Willie learns of this betrayal, he suddenly comes to realize the inherent evil in people when politics are involved, and he no longer seeks to find the good in others. Moreover, this monumental shift in Willie into the character of “The Boss,” emphasizes the striking contrast between knowledge vs. ignorance, and even good vs. evil. Jack recalls this memory of Willie’s innate transformation from good old Cousin Willie into a political figure through his recollection of a past event, which took place in the early 1920s.

The way Jack confronts this alteration in Willie’s character is very interesting, but still difficult to fully decipher. I still do not understand why Willie persists in seeking the title of “governor” when it is clear that the political world is just a web of lies and inevitable deceit that will most likely sequester his ability to acquire this title in the first place, and eventually inhibit his rise to power. Likewise, I am still perplexed by Jack’s role in Willie’s rise to power, and why he does not stop Willie from making a foolish decision to continue this political path when it is obvious that Willie intends to conform to the rules of the “political machine” by employing manipulative and conspiring tactics in order to get what he wants.