All the King's Men

The title of the book is All The King's Men and the Publication date for this book is 1996.

The author Robert Penn Warren was a very famous author. His life was full of many achievements that helped him become recognized. He even won the Pulitzer Prize for this book All The King's Men. Warren was inspired to write this book because when he was younger he lived in the state of Louisiana and around this time Huey P. Long was already an established politician. Warren started out writing poetry but then turned to writing novels. His works are loved and cherished by many and even used in today's schools. It is safe to say that Robert Penn Warren was one of America's most brilliant writers.

This book takes place in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s. Although Warren never reveals the true setting of this book, one can conclude that this took place in Louisiana seeing how Warren became inspired in that state by a person who is mirrored in this very book. Part of this novel is in Mason City. Another place in this novel is Burden's Landing Jack , the main character, goes there many times because this is his hometown.

This novel is mainly about the rise and fall of the political figure Willie Stark told through the eyes of his business associate and friend Jack Burden. Willie stark in his early political career is all for helping the people and trying to do what is best for them. As he gains power and the trust of his people he soon becomes corrupt by the evils of success.

Two reoccurring motifs and symbols are The Great Sleep and the Hospital. The Great Sleep represents escaping from the world. It is about forgetting all issues and responsibilities that we all have. The Hospital represents Willie's last strive to do something good for the people.

Two major themes of this book are power corrupts those who have it and good comes from bad. Power corrupts those who have it means that when you can control people you want to keep that power and you will do whatever it takes to keep it. Good comes from bad means that in order to do good sometimes you have to do bad just like to win sometimes you have to cheat.

believing that Willie Stark was a great man, I could think better of all other people, and of myself. At the same I could more surely condemn myself." page 427 "This