Rachel Holliman, Fall 2009
In the 2006 film adaptation of Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, All the King’s Men, politician Willie Stark solidifies his status as an attention-grabbing and effective orator. His powers of persuasion catapult him from a virtual unknown to the governor of Louisiana. After realizing that the people of Louisiana did not want politicians to talk at them, but rather to them, Willie Stark adapts his style and delivery in a way that appropriately captivates his audience and capitalizes on the kairos present in the situation.
Willie Stark begins his campaign like a conventional politician: his conduct is statesman-like, his Southern accent is played down, and his style is periodic. Unfortunately, this demeanor fails to resonate with the rural, lower-class citizens of Louisiana. They are sick of being talked down to by politicians. They need someone who represents them, someone they can relate to. After a series of unsuccessful speeches, Stark decides to pare down his rhetoric from a grand style to a middle style. According to Crowley and Hawhee, a middle style uses “ordinary everyday language and loose sentence construction” (284). Stark speaks conversationally, letting his Southern accent shine through, saying “ign’ant” instead of “ignorant” and “no mo’” instead of “no more.” While this diction is not particularly dignified, the audience responds to it. It grabs their attention because Stark is speaking the same way they do; they can identify with him. Though this would hardly be the language to use, say, in Washington, it is entirely appropriate for this particular situation. Indeed, Crowley and Hawhee point out that “rhetors should always use language that is familiar to their audiences, even if this language is colloquial or jargon ridden” (281). Stark does a phenomenal job of gauging his audience and adjusting his style accordingly in a way that captures their attention.
Stark proceeds to hold their attention by way of his delivery. His voice is infused with passion; his tone fluctuates, rising when he is making a point that is especially important. For example, the volume of Stark’s voice is quite loud when he is talking about the poorly-built schoolhouse that collapsed while children were inside. While it may be unconventional for a politician, Stark is actually following what rhetoricians have recommended since ancient times: “Ancient rhetoricians…recommended that speakers vary the volume of their voices throughout the speech, using a louder voice to emphasize important words” (334). There is no denying that Stark’s delivery is one that demands to be heard.
After practically shouting to the audience about the collapse of the schoolhouse, he pauses. This is also another effective technique as “pauses can help ‘strengthen the voice’…they serve to separate thoughts, in order to give each thought its due attention and to let the audience reflect” (Crowley & Hawhee 334). By allowing the audience to ponder the schoolhouse tragedy, Stark compels them to look at their harsh reality—they are being ignored by politicians who do not understand or care about them. Stark further accentuates this message by using highly animated and passionate physical gestures throughout his speech, suggesting that he is just as outraged as they are.
Stark’s style is not conventional or statesman-like, but it is entirely appropriate for the situation. The audience had just experienced a tragic event that killed several children. The kairos, or opportune time and place, is there for Stark to make his point. Using language that the audience could identify with and understand, Stark impresses upon them the fact that he is a “hick,” just like they are. Unlike government officials from the city, he cares about what happens to the rural people of Louisiana, because he is one of them. He builds a strong and positive ethos by establishing goodwill with the crowd when he exposes Mr. Duffy’s intentions to use him to split the rural vote.
Stark’s actions are not exactly ethical, but they are necessary to convince a cynical crowd that he is going to fight for them as governor. While discussing appropriate style as it relates to the kairos of a situation, Crowley and Hawhee cite Cicero:
Cicero upheld appropriateness or propriety as the most important rule of thumb for effective rhetoric…But for Cicero, propriety was not something that can be made into a list of hard and fast rules. Cicero defined propriety as “what is fitting and agreeable to an occasion or person; it is important often in actions as well as in words, in the expression of the face, in gesture and in gait.” (282)
Like Cicero, Stark understands that he has to gauge the situation and respond accordingly. Anything less than angrily exposing Duffy as a “Judas” would fall short of what the audience wants and needs to hear. What is considered unethical by some is successful here, given the kairos of the situation.
Willie Stark eventually wins the gubernatorial race in Louisiana due to the adjustments he made in his style and delivery to better suit the audience and situation. Because of his ability to prepon, he establishes himself as a captivating and effective rhetor.
Works Cited
Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004.
Zaillian, Steve. All the King’s Men. Dir. Todd Phillips. DVD. Sony Pictures Digital, Inc., 2006.