All The Kings Men: Man As A Slave To Knowledge Essay -- essays researc

All the Kings Men Man As a Slave to KnowledgeDave GoffIn Robert Penn Warrens novel, All the Kings Men, Jack Burden pleads, The end of man is acquaintance, but there is one thing a man cant know. He cantknow whether knowledge allow for save him or kill him (9). Jacks statement revealsthat man is subjectd by knowledge. Familiar sayings such as, Ignorance isbliss, and, what you dont know cant hurt you also state this point.Examples of knowledge enslaving man be seen in the novel finished the charactersof Willie Stark, Adam Stanton and Jack Burden.Willie Stark is a character that attempts to conquer knowledge, eventhough in the end, he is overcome by the forces of knowledge. Willie did notwant to be a slave to knowledge, but rather, its keeper. Stark uses informationabout people for blackmail, to achieve his goals. His goals for politicaloffices ranged from Mason County Treasurer to state governor, senator, and approximatelylikely thoughts of presidency. And on the way to get to these offices, Stark hadto overpower others with dark knowledge, the secrets people keep. Stark saysthat man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from thestink of the didie to the stench of the shroud. There is always something (49).He is saying that everyone has something to hide, a skeleton in the closet.Stark knows that everyone has some bit of knowledge to hide, and that theknowledge makes man a slave as he tries to hide the bit of knowledge. Starkoften wields the power of knowledge to enslave others to do his bidding. Hefinds the dirt on someone, the secret bit of dark knowledge, and then has themdo his bidding. When a certain Byram B. White tried to get rich, Stark had himsign an undatable resignation form to hold him in his power. Willie said himself, Well, I fixed Byram. I fixed him so his unborn great-grandchildren will wettheir pants on this anniversary and not know why (136). Also, Stark manipulatespeople with knowledge, telling them what they want t o hear. Under the picturewas the legend My study is the heart of the people. In quote marks, andsigned, Willie Stark (6). Willie Stark studies people, rather, voters, and whatthey want to hear from him. When the people hear what they want to hear fromWillie, they are satisfied and will vote him in office. Willie... ...r. If the human functiondidnt remember anything, it would be perfectly happy (40). From this quotation,it is seen that knowledge can hurt. It is also shown that sometimes one can knowtoo much for ones own good. And Jacks quondam(prenominal) hurt him, so Jack ran from his past,leaving Burdens Landing, where his fathers departure caused him anguish.Jack also dreaded returning to Burdens Landing, refusing to face his problems,refusing to accept any new stepfather and trying to resist the love of hismother. Nevertheless, Jack sometimes realized that he was running from hisproblems. Once he said, For maybe you cannot ever really walk away from thethings you want most t o walk away from (43). Jack finally understands that, with knowledge you can face up to anything, for knowledge is power (313).So man is enslaved by knowledge, whether it be through skeletons in thecloset, or false knowledge, or uncomfortable knowledge. Actions are guided byknowledge. Usually, actions are thought about first. Also, some people try toenslave others with knowledge, but fall victim themselves, one way or another.Knowledge is power. That is why man can be enslaved by it.