The Puppeteer: An Analysis of the Implications of Gendered Spheres through Sadie Burke in All the King’s Men

Abstract

In a novel written about All the King's Men, this critical analysis serves as a closer look at the [wo]man behind the curtain. "The Puppeteer" scrutinizes Robert Penn Warren's use of gender in relation to politics, power, and puppet strings through his female character Sadie Burke. All the King's Men is praised for being the insightful chronicle of Willie Stark's journey from rags to riches, who is rumored to serve as the fictional representation of Louisiana Governor Huey Long. It is also celebrated for the tantalizing coming-of-age narrative of Warren's narrator Jack Burden, in which Burden grapples with his reconciliation of self and morality. However, the novel's numerous accolades fail to recognize the brilliance of Warren's attention to gender. This critical analysis takes a closer look at operative femininity within the masculine world of politics, and dares to declare that a female serves as the most important character of them all.