History, the drama of conflicting ideas and forces in politics and society, brings about the fatal collision of Willie Stark, the "man of fact," and Adam Stanton, the "man of idea." Warren's novel suggests that both the pragmatist and the idealist are merely actors whose choices often produce ironic and tragic consequences.
Although the action of the novel focuses on Willie Stark and the results of his manipulations, the central theme is Jack Burden's search for values and faith in the meaning of life. Burden's life, at the beginning of the novel, has been a series of disappointments: his father, Ellis Burden, the "Scholarly Attorney," is a futile and beaten failure; his mother is domineering and sexually promiscuous; his adolescent romantic idyll with Anne Stanton has ended in frustration; his years as a graduate student.....
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