By: Anika Isom, Editor in Chief The opening book for Mrs. Spindler’s AP Literature class is All the King’s Men. The book focuses on the political corruption and life of Willie Stark, as narrated by Jack Burden, Willie’s right hand man. The book is heavy with symbolism and allegories, and discusses the question of the nature of man, and whether or not we are responsible for our actions. The book is written by Robert Penn Warren and is based off the life of Huey Long, a rousing American politician who was assassinated in 1935. All the King’s Men has long been a favorite of past AP Literature students, but many of the students today feel like the book is too long and has unclear flashbacks. Personally, I have liked All the King’s Men, and feel like it is a book everyone should read. What makes a book worth reading? For me, it is the intellectual value it holds. A good book makes me think and reflect on my own life. All the King’s Men certainly holds these characteristics, as it discusses the nature of man. One of the classes favorite quotes is “the end of man is to know” on page 14. In respects to Willie’s political ambition, this is an interesting statement, as it seems to hint that knowledge is both necessary as well as destroying. Can you know too much? And will that hurt you in the end? Pondering these questions helps me to figure out my own life, and inspires me to read books that stoke the imagination. The intellectual value of All the King’s Men is highlighted by the moral ambiguity of the characters. While many of the characters display admirable traits, these characters also tend to have the most dubious intentions. Both Jack and Willie, the two most important characters, are not “black and white” characters. They seem to exist in a sort of moral gray area. This relates to me because I don’t think you can fit people in boxes. We are all incredibly complex individuals, and that’s a good thing! This moral gray area applies to all of us, and makes for interesting analyzation of the characters in the book. Both the intellectual and social value of All the King’s Men makes it a true literary masterpiece. The book has beautiful imagery and flashbacks, and while hard to read, it is well worth the effort.
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January 2019
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