Joy Glaze, Post Two

Henry Burton, the formerly unbiased observer, has now become so completely involved in Jack Stanton’s campaign that he is unable to pull himself out. Even when Burton discovers that Stanton may be even more morally loose than he had believed, this “deputy to the campaign manager” is incapable of distancing himself from the race. Burton compares stepping away from the campaign to stepping into the light after spending a long time in the dark; it is blinding and discombobulating. Henry is no longer involved in the campaign just for himself, but for Jack, Susan, and especially Daisy. Whether he likes it or not, the campaign has become Burton’s life.
The situation with Willie McCollister’s daughter is especially bothersome to Burton. In Chapter 6, Burton is told that he will be expected to deal with Willie, and the thought of facing the McCollisters gives Burton shivers. Burton is torn between loyalty to Stanton and disgust at the terrible thing that Stanton might have done. Burton remarks that he couldn’t believe that Stanton would take advantage of Willie’s daughter, and he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t. The fact that Burton continues to support Stanton even in the midst of this moral dilemma is further proof that he has simply been pulled to deeply into the campaign.