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All the Kings Men

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Submitted By willygood004
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Willie Stark

Willie Stark is a human being, endowed with the ability to feel and act in equal measure. In the beginning of the chapter, when he is the County treasurer for Mason City, he is shown as a frustrated young man who is unable to convince Pillsbury against building the School house through J. H. Moore whose rates are high but quality is low. He voices his protest against Pillsbury and expresses concern over his undertaking. He feels dejected when his suggestion goes unheard. However, when the building collapses under its weight, people remember Willie Stark and his warning. During the elections, when Willie becomes aware of the dirty plan of Harrison, he feels insulted. He frets and fumes about the injustice done to him but when he recovers from his depression; he exposes the hypocrisy of Harrison and declares his withdrawal from the contest. Therefore Willie acts in spite of being emotionally disturbed. After he becomes the Governor, he faces numerous problems, which affect him emotionally but he always takes hold of the situation and plans the course of action accordingly. Stark is an emotional fool but he is also a man of action. Willie is a man with a vision and a mission. Earlier, he had envisaged building a sturdy Schoolhouse, which would give confidence to its students to learn well and put in their best efforts. When he becomes the governor, he plans to use the State funds for developmental activities like making good roads and building hospitals. He decides to build a model hospital, which would provide the best facilities and medical treatment to the patients. With this in view, he invites the efficient Adam Stanton to take charge of the hospital. Willie Stark is a political dictator who can hold the attention of the people and persuade them to act according to his wishes. This is the reason why people cheer him when he speaks and support him in his effort. Thus, when MacMurfee threatens him with the impeachment of Byram White, he is able to win over the people to his point of view and earn their support in defeating the case. Stark is energetic, enthusiastic and charged with drive. These primal qualities attract people around him. His staff comprising of Tiny Duffy, Byram White, and Sugar Boy dance to his tunes without protest. Even intelligent individuals like Jack Burden become his slaves. Burden performs all the duties assigned to him even though he may not be always convinced about their propriety. Women are captivated by his manly and imposing personality. Thus the sensible Lucy, assertive Sadie and sophisticated Anne fall for his charms. If Stark is sensitive and strong-willed, he is arrogant and high- handed too. As long as people listen to his views and support him, he is good to them. However, when any one opposes him or does anything against his wishes, he leaves no stone unturned to punish them. An example of this is when he repays Harrison and MacMurfee in their own coin. He threatens Irwin and pressures him to support Willie. Another example of this would be the constant showering of abuse on Tiny Duffy, whenever the man acts contrary to his wishes. Stark believes in the principle of ‘ends justifying the means.’ His auditor commits an impropriety by making substantial profits through his ties with a real estate firm. He condemns the act and Lucy also requests him to turn against White for indulging in an unfair deal but Willie decides to support Byram White because MacMurfee was taking advantage of the situation to defame him. Similarly, his enmity against MacMurfee forces him to blackmail a respectable man like Judge Irwin. When Adam acts difficult before accepting the offer made by the Boss, Stark convinces him with this: "Goodness. Yeah, just plain, simple goodness. Well you cannot inherit that from anybody. You got to make it Doc, if you want it. And you got to make it out of badness... And you know why? Because there isn’t anything else to make it out of." Stark is trying to justify his bad actions through a good end. Robert Penn Warren has succeeded in making Willie Stark vibrant and alive. His well-rounded personality comprising of both good and bad qualities make him highly human. It is this quality that endears him to others and makes him a loveable character.

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