All the Kings Men
Throughout All the Kings Men, history plays an important role in the motivations and
lives of all the characters. Historys importance is most noticeable, not surprisingly, in the
story main characters – Willie Stark and Jack Burden – whose lives focus on and, in some
cases, depend upon history and how they relate themselves to it. While Willie Stark views
history as a tool with which to manipulate people for his own ends, an attitude resulting in
his own destruction, Jack Burdens view of history changes over time and eventually
allows him to accept his relationship to the past and, therefore, present. Since each man
has such a differing view it is no wonder that history becomes important to each in
different ways. Willie Stark must support his entire empire in a world of enemies and
corruption, to do this he relies on the past to provide him with the foundation. “Dirts a
funny thing,” the Boss said. “Come to think of it, there aint a thing but dirt on this Gods
green globe except whats under water, and thats dirt too. Its dirt makes the grass grow.
A diamond aint a thing in the world but a piece of dirt that got awful hot. God-a-Mighty
picked up a handful of dirt and
stark, history, past, burden, own, dirt, world, truth, thing, judge, said, jack, facts, between, willie, view, ways, support, since, rather, must, irwin, important, gain, both, blackmail, anne, aint, willies, while, way, water, views, using, upon, under, two, twitch, tries, tool, time, thus, through, take, speaks, relationship, political, plays, persuade, over
