Analysis of `All the Kings Men`

The novel All the King 's Men was published in 1946 and written by Robert Penn Warren . The title of the novel is taken from a popular children 's nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty . The novel has won many awards and has been adapted into films in 1949 and 2006

Based in 1930s , this is a story about a politician named Willie Stark who rose from a rural county seat and managed to reach the governor 's mansion . He had started off in Louisiana with the lower social class 's support . His team consisted

of his friend and bodyguard Sugar Boy a journalist Jack Burten hailing from an aristocratic background Tiny Duffy the campaigner and his mistress Sadie Burke . However , during his long struggle for justice , he lost all his innocence and became as manipulated , conniving and corrupt as the people he initially fought against

The journalist Jack Burton plays an integral role in the story . As Stark 's right hand man his duties included looking up dirt on all of Stark 's enemies . The secret found was then used for blackmail . Jack was also ambitionless , non-serious and cynical about everything from his dissertation in American history to his first love Anne Stanton

When Stark asks Jack to look for skeletons in Judge Irwin 's closet , Jack is forced to contemplate the consequences of his move . His discovery of Judge Irwin 's bribe , results in the eventual suicide of Judge Irwin Unfortunately , Stark starts to have an affair with Jack 's...