ipl-logo

Corruption In All The King's Men

1922 Words8 Pages

All the King’s Men In “All the King’s Men” by Robert Warren politics corrupt the people who were once revered for their courage to speak against evils. The reason that politics corrupts is the pressure that politics places on those who take part in it and the people they interact with. Corruption is an effect of politics and all of the things that Warren shows alongside it. Warren displays how politics corrupt through Willie Stark’s alcohol abuse during prohibition, love affairs that influence his political career and transformation of Willie Stark’s beliefs from selfless to selfish tendencies. Willie Stark begins to abuse alcohol during his time as governor and this is a major factor in his corruption as it is during the prohibition …show more content…

Willie's first affair happens not to long after he gets into his position as Governor, and it is with his secretary Sadie. When this happens Sadie is very happy, but ends up feeling cheated by the other girls that Willie is with and how they get favors by Willie, through his governor status, because she had wasn’t getting the same treatment. She says that Willie is “two timing (her)”(Warren 343) and this is ironic as Stark’s wife is the one who is being two timed by these corrupt politicians. Willie wants to feel loved because his career has taken his wife's love away from him, so he is willing to commit adultery in order to get that pleasure. Willie’s affairs are well known like his other corrupt dealings, but he is getting results so people choose to ignore it. As he moves forward with his political schemes he forms a relationship with Anne Stanton. His love affair influences his decisions and this is a mark of corruption he gave Anne “state money“(398) for home for children just because he was having an affair with her. He wanted her to see him as someone who was good and not corrupt, but he makes a shady political decision in order to do it. Even if he did the right thing helping the children, it was still a corrupt deal all to help him with his affair.Tomason believes that“the most poisonous influence has not been Willie Stark's pragmatic political programs”(Tomason) but instead how he decides to make certain changes. Willie’s poisonous influence is that he decides to give favors to people he is sleeping with, even if it is for a good cause and that is why the affairs make him corrupt, because he is not making legitimate decisions based off of facts. In the end his affairs are his downfall as Sadie revealing the truth behind it led to Adam Stanton killing him

Show More
Related

  • All The King's Men By Robert Penn Warren

    1511 Words  | 7 Pages

    It was the fact that Tiny Duffy, the man Willie Stark appointed Lieutenant Governor, told Adam the only reason he had the job was because of Anne’s and Willie’s affair. Since Stanton had so much hate towards Willie Stark it was not difficult for Adam to murder him. Tiny Duffy wanted to be the Governor, but could never be it on his own, so he used politics to his advantage and had Governor Stark

    Read More

  • Corruption In Fahrenheit 451

    2104 Words  | 9 Pages

    Montag is the protagonist in this novel. He is thirty years old. He is a fireman whose job is to make sure all books are burned therefore he believes strongly in what his society stands for: all books should be burned. Or so it seems. Throughout the beginning of the novel, it’s obvious that he is conflicting on what he actually believes, everyone around him thinks he believes books are bad.

    Read More

  • Corruption In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    1764 Words  | 8 Pages

    In recent years, many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum have been showing very counter-cultural attitudes via the internet and their choice of president. These attitudes are similar to that of people living in the 1960’s. In that period of counter-cultural ideas, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, a counter-cultural book, was published. One major theme that frequently appears throughout the book’s entirety is Corruption of power, as the antagonist, Nurse Ratched, displays the tendencies of corrupt, undemocratic leaders throughout the novel, as the novel builds her up as being a very power-hungry individual. Nurse Ratched’s corrupt character, as well as her neglect of democracy in group sessions and neglect for the helpless mental patients shows that the purpose of Nurse Ratched’s character may have been to provoke thought about whether we Americans truly live in a fair and democratic nation.

    Read More

  • How Is Willy Loman Selfish

    399 Words  | 2 Pages

    He sees himself with wealth because of his child's pride in him. Willy's children, Biff and Happy, embrace Willy's propensity for denying or controlling reality

    Read More

  • Corruption In The Glass Castle

    349 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Glass Castle, the Walls’ family's overall corruption was the result of their parents flaws as human beings. For Instance, in this section of the story, Uncle Stanley inappropriately gropes, touches, and plays with children. Jennette goes to her mother for help, but her mother turns away and sympathizes with Uncle Stanley instead. For example, “Mom, Uncle Stanley is behaving inappropriately. "Oh, you're probably imagining it," she said.

    Read More

  • Corruption In The Crucible

    881 Words  | 4 Pages

    Arthur Miller portrays the Salem Witch Trials as a time of intense fear spreading across the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The witch trials were told in the story, as group of girls who were acting as if they were possessed by the Devil and his evil spirits. So they could have certain people in the town convicted and killed. Arthur Miller displays to the reader that power has the potential for unbalanced corruption. Miller shows the readers, people who were previously powerless, who then receive power, tend to do awful things for personal gain.

    Read More

  • Corruption In The Gilded Age

    176 Words  | 1 Pages

    Mark Twain once said, “No country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds the guardians of the law, and the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.” In the Gilded Age, which was from 1869 to 1896, politicians ignored their obligation to execute and protect the laws of this nation in favor of lining their own pockets. Presidential administrations and presidential candidates were often time could in corruption scandals that showed how they were stealing the American people’s money. The Grant administration probably being the most notable example of this corruption. Low-level political officers were also a party in the corruption of the gilded age, with corrupt big bosses

    Read More

  • All The King's Men Willie Stark Character Traits

    1010 Words  | 5 Pages

    Willie believes that everyone in this world has dirt and that it is up to him or the people he hires to find out what that dirt is. Willie may be a very bad human at times but he is not a hypocrite, he also sins and Warren does not hide that from the reader. His most grievous sins involve the way he treats his wife Lucy. The spotlight of attention is too much for the Boss and he uses this to fuel his desires sexually, keeping several mistresses during the course of the novel.

    Read More

  • Walter Mcmillian's Just Mercy

    1452 Words  | 6 Pages

    Above all else he discovers the intersections of oppression that make innocent people prey for a vicious and cyclical justice system. Examples of these intersections are Walter’s own race, his ‘violent’ manhood, and his low economic standing. Herbert Richardson acts as another central

    Read More

  • Corruption In Edward Scissorhands

    205 Words  | 1 Pages

    Burton’s films also focus around the corruption of high authoritative people, including Max Shreck, the president of Gotham city in Batman and also the corruption of the Judge in Sweeney Todd. Furthermore, the high authoritative people who have already attained success and acceptance from society, tend to be the corrupt and evil characters, the real monsters, whereas the physical monsters and anti-heroes that are neglected from society, are the ones who deserve recognition from the public, these misunderstood characters include Penguin from Batman Returns who fights to gain acceptance and love from society, something Max has already gained. This could also be interpreted in Edward Scissorhands whereas the misunderstood monster, Edward, is kind and wants acceptance and love from society, however the public pose as the real monsters, who stereotype him and are quick to point the finger, leading to the public actually posing as a threat and becoming the true villains, where at the end, they hunt down Edward and lead to the kidnap, attack and death of civilians.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Dialectical Journal

    852 Words  | 4 Pages

    After reading about that, one cannot help but think back to Linda’s care and concern in this opening scene of the book. It is clear that Willy has put her through and continues to put Linda through quite a deal, yet she consistently fights to care for him and ensure his safety. She treats him with such compassion, that him having an affair makes Willy a deal

    Read More

  • Power Corrupt In The Crucible

    930 Words  | 4 Pages

    Time and Time Again Power Corrupts “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This quote by politician Lord Acton has a lot to do with The Crucibles. The Crucibles, a play written by Arthur Miller takes place during the Salem witch trials. In this play a lot more was happening than just the hanging of witches. There was also corruption of power and authority in the court, specifically by a judge named Danforth.

    Read More

  • Willie Bosket Argumentative Essay

    480 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Garland). I do think that Willie's interactions played a part in shaping him into what he became. Self-Control Theory states that criminality comes from adding together a lack of self-control and opportunity. That could explain why Willie decided to murder the man on the train without a second thought. He simply saw the chance and he took

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman Aristotle Analysis

    1065 Words  | 5 Pages

    He wants happiness for his family. Second, Aristotle says is propriety, the character should be appropriate. Willy does commit human sins, but he never utters anything less than good advice, which befits his status as the head of the family. Thirdly, the character should be true to life. Willy’s sins are what makes him fit to the definition of true to life.

    Read More

  • Goodnight Mister Tom Analysis

    1315 Words  | 6 Pages

    In order to show this, I will analyse two fostering aspects which play a big part in his development and setbacks, these include punishment as well as encouragement. We get to know characters through scenes and descriptions, as well as speech and actions. We get to follow Willies mental state as well as his physical development through these aspects. Willie is the protagonist of the story; he is the main character the plot is addressing. His mother in London is depicted as the antagonist who causes him pain as she believes he needs to be punished for his many sins, which consequently seems to relate to her own mental issues.

    Read More

More about Corruption In All The King's Men

Open Document