lives of all the characters. History's importance is most noticeable, not surprisingly, in the

story main characters - Willie Stark and Jack Burden - whose lives focus on and, in some

cases, depend upon history and how they relate themselves to it. While Willie Stark views

history as a tool with which to manipulate people for his own ends, an attitude resulting in

his own destruction, Jack Burden's view of history changes over time and eventually

allows him to accept his relationship to the past and, therefore, present. Since each man

has such a differing view it is no wonder that history becomes important to each in

different ways. Willie Stark must support his entire empire in a world of enemies and

corruption, to do this he relies on the past to provide him with the foundation. "Dirt's a

funny thing," the Boss said. "Come to think of it, there ain't a thing but dirt on this God's

green globe except what's under water, and that's dirt too. It's dirt makes the grass grow.

A diamond ain't a thing in the world but a piece of dirt that got awful hot. God-a-Mighty

picked up a handful of dirt and blew on it and made you and me and George

contrasted on a 'history' level in may other ways. For instance, both men treat the

an envelope of incriminating evidence to gain political support, or rather, subservience.

the device by which he maintains power.

facts, the converse is not always true:

of Adam (and indirectly, Anne) Burden is acting under his own will, rather than orders

white gull flashing high over." This sudden renovation of Jack's past is such that it forces

Some topics in this essay:
Stark Burden, Stark Anne, Willie Stark, Anne Burden, Irwin Stark, George Washington, Burden Lowdan, Stark's Stark, Twitch Jack, Throughout King's, willie stark, dirt god's green, stark views, dirt god's, views history, people own, ain't dirt, god's green, manipulation judge, god's green globe, ain't dirt god's, depends dirt, history stark,