Smith Chapter 2

All The King’s Men is a novel that encompasses all of the aspects of Southern life in the 1930-40s, there is one subtle yet vital aspect of Southern life that Robert Penn Warren demonstrates beautifully which is the pride between men, the hostility when not given what is immediately wanted and the reading between the lines of all tense moments. When Jackie is doing recon for Willie Talos regarding the construction of a new schoolhouse he talks to a Sheriff of the local town and immediately the hostility and tension is high because there is fear and the need to keep many things from one another.

“’What you come fer?’

 ‘to see what’s going on about the school house’, I said.

‘You come a piece,’ he said, ‘to stick yore nose in somebody else’s bizness.’

‘that’s right’, I agreed cheerfully, ‘but my boss on the paper can’t see it that way’

‘it ain’t any of his bizness either’”(78). This moment demonstrates the tension had between unknown Southern men, the inability to share to one another the problematic thoughts they may be having. Whether you are strangers or good friends, uncertainties are not disgust. This way of bitter pride is well demonstrated with Willies reaction to the only fear he ever expressed to Jackie during his campaign. “’How do you think it’s going Jack?’…which was embarrassing not because of anything you might say for an answer, the truth or a lie, but because the fellow asked the question t all. But I said to him ‘fine, I reckon its going fine.’…he sat there a minute longer, then got up and said goodnight and went to his room. It wasn’t long before I heard the pacing start.” (103). This demonstrates all the different angels of how Southern men hide their fear and do anything to preserve their pride whether it be responding with rudeness or silently judging one another’s insecurities.