| Robert Penn Warren is one of the first Poet Laureate group and representatives of “the New Criticism” in America. His works mainly elaborate the great impacts on American Southern literature and trends that exerted by family, society and history tradition. The themes involved in All the King’s Men are very extensive, such as philosophy, theology, feminism and ethics. This novel written in accordance with the life of Huey Long, the former Governor of Louisiana State in the 1930 s, narrates the ethical confusion and tragedy of Governor Willie Stark from the perspective of narrator Jack Burden. As an ambitious politician, Willie, the incarnation of Huey Long, is a tragic hero with charismatic features. In addition, the novel also uncovers the self-pursuing process of Cass as well as the self-improving and personal experience breaking-through course of Jack.From the perspective of ethical literary criticism, this thesis re-interprets the novel All the King’s Men. Via restoring the encountered predicaments of character, it expounds the ethical line of “return of human nature”, namely the course of how a“self-divided person” becomes a “whole human”, so as to deepen the analysis of the arduous journey of returning to human nature. Hence, it can be seen that the self-inquiry to modern people’s construction of ethical order contributes much to the revelation of modern people’s spiritual state; and to some extent, the unceasingly generated mental conflicts can also be alleviated effectively and this is just the research value of the thesis.This thesis consists of five parts:Chapter one introduces Robert Penn Warren and the novel All the King’s Men and the domestic and abroad researches on this novel are also summarized herein.From the perspective of ethical literary criticism, this chapter also unearths the realistic research significance of the ethical value implied in this great work.Chapter two probes into Warren’s understanding on the ethical connotations between man and man. This chapter attempts to elaborate the relationship between man and woman from the study angle of human factor and animal factor and expounds the relationship between leader and subordinate from the viewpoint of rational will and free will. This sequence of human relationship reflects Willie’s ethical confusion and the causes of his tragedy and some certain referentialsignificance on the interpersonal-relationship regulation among modern people is generated thereof.Chapter three interprets the ethical taboo and salvation of Cass Mastern, namely the process from betrayal, ethical consciousness to self-introspection of him. Cass’ ethical consciousness prompts him to constantly take actions to make up for mistakes and through this, his ethical identity is eventually re-constructed.Chapter four expounds Jack Burden’s ethical consciousness and integrity process. This chapter further analyzes the process of how Jack becomes “a whole man” from the “self-divided” state from the perspectives of Jack’s degeneration,salvation and the causes of his salvation.Chapter five comes to the conclusion that as an ethical work with profound significance, the novel All the King’s Men conveys Warren’s ideologies on how to construct ethical order in modern society. Warren holds the viewpoint that only through ethical consciousness and moral self-improvement, people can become a whole man. It proves that ethical value has ultimate significance to human survival and development.Through the integration of one main line of Willie’s self-awareness and two subordinate lines of Cass’ pursuit and Jack’s integrity processes, the character realizes the goal of “return of human nature”. The process of return of human nature, actually, is just the constructing and complying with course of ethical order among human beings and the understandings of selves and common humanity are therefore facilitated and some certain referential values to human civilization progress and moral ascension are also provided herein as expected. |
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