Study Questions
What do you make of the Cass Mastern episode? How does it fit into the rest of the novel? Why is it important?
Discuss the character of Jack Burden. How does he develop throughout the novel? As a narrator, how aware do you think Jack is of the extent of his own development?
Think about the novel's title. Where does it come from? In what way does it describe the novel itself? Does the title's allusion predict the novel's action?
Discuss the character of Willie Stark. How does Willie change during the novel? What causes him to change? Is Willie a good governor? Is he a good person?
Compare and contrast Sadie Burke and Anne Stanton. Besides some of their obvious differences, do they have any important similarities? What draws each of them to Willie?
Think about the idea of responsibility as it develops throughout the novel. How does this idea make itself felt in the lives of characters other than Jack? Does Willie accept responsibility for his actions? Does Adam Stanton?
Jack Burden is the most important consciousness in the novel, but Willie instigates most of the novel's action. Who do you think is the novel's protagonist? Is Willie a secondary character in the story of Jack, or vice versa? Or are they equally important?
