Analysis Of Primary Colors Essay -- essays research papers

Politics is a bloodsport, one big game of corruption, muckraking, prostitution, and defilement, which is played by the politicians, the media, and the seemingly innocent public that tends to forget that politicians are humans also, no better than the masses except for one thing, the ability to play the game. Primary Colors by Anonymous portrays this fraudulent game perfectly, exhibiting all of the dark aspects of a political campaign: from the vicious media in their pursuit of scandals, to the traitorousness of opposing candidates to destroy each other, all the way to the secretive sexual interactions taking place during the campaigning process. Yet in this vice-corrupted novel, Anonymous also manages to let the human side of the tainted politicians shine through, showing that they are imperfect, that they have flaws and weaknesses, and that they make mistakes in exactly the same fashion as all other human beings do. It is with these decadent political figures, Jack Stanton and Fredd y Picker, that Anonymous in Primary Colors shows that there is still a nobleness to politics, a dedication to the voters, a love of the political game, and a human compassion in all of it. It is important to mention the definition of noble in order to avoid misunderstanding the word, for according to the Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia, the definition of noble is â€Å"stately and imposing; of magnanimous nature,† and referring to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, noble means â€Å"characterized by or indicative of virtue or magnanimity; high minded; imposing of appearance; grand; impressive† (475). Both definitions of the word noble imply that a person can have a noble appearance and that a person’s main objectives and actions are noble, but one should keep in mind that even noble people are not perfect people. This is especially true with the characters of Jack Stanton and Freddy Picker. Jack Stanton’s appearance, especially when he is presenting himself to the public, doing what he loves best—mingling with â€Å"the folks,† is noble. The public looks up to him, â€Å"he was a big fellow† (Anon., 1) and the manner in w hich he interacts with the people, his meaningful handshakes and physical contact to them, truly listening to them, always remembering their names, and considering them friends is exemplary of nobleness. On the other hand, Freddy Picker’s appearance is completely different, a trim... ...le confessing to Stanton that he is afraid of the media’s power to destroy his life, and Stanton immediately rushes to hug him, rocks him gently, and kisses him on the top of his head while Picker cries on Stanton’s chest (495). The action speaks for itself: two grown men, tough political figures, becoming as loving and caring as a mother with her child--true human compassion. Even in the fierce and heartless business of politics, certain noble human attributes such as a dedication to the public, a love of the game of politics, and the compassion shared in this sport are necessary for politicians, such as Jack Stanton and Freddy Picker, to succeed. Through Primary Colors, Anonymous truly depicts their imperfections, defects, and addictions in such manner that the reader realizes that these characters can not be perfect just because they are politicians. Although political figures are in the public eye, they are human like every other person and the pressure and demand to be faultless by the public is unreasonable and superlative. Politician’s imperfection is best summarized by Anonymous’ character, Jack Stanton: â€Å"This is about the ability to lead. It’s not about perfection† (503).