Emmett's co-prisoner. The Lincoln Highway Character Analysis Emmett Watson The Lincoln Highway 's protagonist is 18-year-old Emmett Watson, whose life is permanently altered when a thrown punch accidentally and subsequently becomes a lethal blow. Emmett lost control of his anger and hit him so hard that he fell backward and struck his head on a concrete block. The novel probes questions about how to structure a narrative and where to start; its chapters count down from Ten to One as they build to a knockout climax. When you finished A Gentleman in Moscow, why did you choose to write The Lincoln Highway next? Imagine he had even more side stories than were in the final published novel! A number of readers have reached out with questions about Emmetts intentions and culpability at the end of the book. What do you think? How do you view coming of age and what we each choose? Print Word PDF This section contains 3,447 words (approx. Can you comment on that? When Duchess and Woolly ultimately borrowed Emmetts car, they soon found that they had lost the signal to Emmetts favorite radio station somewhere back in Nebraska. When Woolly turned on the radio with an eye on hearing the ads that endlessly entertained him, all that came through the speaker was static. Readers of this review will perhaps call this a reach, but call the static Duchess and Woolly endured a metaphor for the genius of inequality. When children are young, the nuclear family is a very tight unit (even when its dysfunctional). The Lincoln Highway is a character-driven tale that is and pulled along through narratives of each major individual in the story. Toss about 1/4 of the sauce with the cooked fettuccine and parmesan, divide the pasta on the plates, then spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the pasta. What are your stories? Early in The Lincoln Highway, when Duchess observes Emmett allowing himself to be beaten up by Jake Snyder, he remarks that Emmett is like Alan Ladd in Shane, Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity, and Lee Marvin in The Wild One. When I finish writing a novel, I find myself wanting to head in a new direction. Characters in bold have named chapters from their perspective. I always start with a very simple idea, a conceit that has popped into my head and which can be described in a sentence. As Duchess explains it, You open a place that no one can get into, and everybody wants to be there. Theres a genius to scarcity in the economic space, but like charm its in a sense elusive. I suppose its worth noting that Duchess isnt angry with Emmett in the last chapter because he recognizes the ingenuity of what Emmett has done, and he knows his own culpability in the final outcome. Were Duchess and Woolly on the road now, they could gain easy access to hundreds of stations without regard to location thanks to Sirius/XM. The novel is a study of three very different 18-year old males coming of age following a stint in a juvenile correction facility. Why did you decide to set the story in 1954? At nearly 600 pages, The Lincoln Highway is remarkably brisk, remarkably buoyant. 1954 saw the release of the first two hits of the Rock & Roll era: Shake, Rattle, and Roll by Big Joe Turner and Rock around the Clock by Bill Hailey and the Comets. In a letter to Emmett, his father quotes Emerson, There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. Be sure to add marmaladeandmustardseed@gmail.com to your contacts so the newsletters will come to your inbox. When Woolly was in boarding school he unexpectedly takes a taxi to visit his sister. Its hard to say. Do our parents serve as an influence, or counter-influence in its formation? Billy dreams of his house in California for himself and Emmett and finding his mom. Hes understandably terse with Tom Obermeyer, the banker overseeing the foreclosure. For now, and as is the case with all of my reviews, Id like to pivot to interesting economic angles withinHighway. When I was first drafting this scene, I came up with Duchesss upside-down notion that sometimes the one being beaten up is the real man. Duchess is a persuasive and original figure, an avenging moral accountant with a ledger of debts to collect (and occasionally to pay). (Add a little more chicken broth as necessary, if the sauce is drying out.) Perhaps counter-intuitively, one of the reasons I outline with such care is to free up my imagination while Im writing the book. The Lincoln Highway is a character-driven tale that is and pulled along through narratives of each major individual in the story. Back toGirlsand the pawn shop, Towles writes Emmett, Duchess and Woolly as though their work-camp misfortune was all the doing of others. On their adventure to California, and trickery by Woolly and Duchess, Emmett is careful of not committing the same mistakes again, and disappointing his little brother. The Lincoln Highway: About the Book Click the image to expand A #1 New York Times Best Seller In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. The likely answer is that whats true today has always been true: parsimony is the surest path to wealth. Can you talk about the structure of the book? Me, I love surprises but some people just dont like being caught off guard, even by good news. chapter Ten Duchess. Sarah's husband. California it would be. Finally, in 1954 the road culture of modern American was about to begin. As opposed to a pejorative, its actually a very bullish sign that wildly skilled entrepreneurs are able to meet the needs of more and more people. You can find my brief history of the highway here. Ajotie on nyt osa seuraavia teit: Delaware-reitti 279 Marylandin rajan ja Newarkin vlill; Delaware Reitti 896 ja Delaware Reitti 273 Newarkissa The punch wasnt a killer, but the freak way in which the punchs recipient landed resulted in him dying, and the rather innocent and good Emmett being sent to Salina. Duchess attributes his moral code to a lesson Sister Agnes told the orphans. As with Zenos arrow, contemplated by Emmett at one point, the novels many journeys are infinitely bisected. Distance is subdivided and arrival deferred. Woolly's brother-in-law. In some respects, The Lincoln Highway, seems to be a Bildungsroman in which the transition from youth to adulthood for the main characters is compressed from years into a matter of days. Maybe Towles cant write street, or maybe hes just an optimist writing remarkable people as he wants to write them. Woolly is written as well-meaning but hopelessly dense. Again, one of the ideas Towles explores is how evil can be offset by decency and kindness on any rung of the socio-economic ladder. First it was Sally and Woolly, then Pastor John and Ulysses, and finally Abacus and Billy. Like his first two novels, 'The Lincoln Highway' is elegantly constructed and compulsively readable. Fettucine Mio Amore, the dish that Duchess makes for Emmett, Woolly, Billy, and Sally on their last night together, is an homage to my old friend and a favorite of the Towles family. Realistically theres no story if Emmetts a really bad person who had purposely killed someone, but seemingly no one inHighwayis at fault at which point we should all be so lucky to be sent off to a work camp filled with such interesting, articulate, and (in Woollys case) well-bred inmates. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. One thing smart Billy comes to realize: He belongs to a long tradition of sidekicks who come to save the day. Like his first two novels, The Lincoln Highway is elegantly constructed and compulsively readable. Pour off most, but not all of the bacon fat. AKA: Professor Abercrombie, Sam. Such is the prerogative of fiction novelists, they get to shape the characters in the way they like, but his drawing of them deprivedHighwayof believability. Obermeyers line is a corrective of the laughable commentary from the Left back in 2008 that predatory lenders essentially forced money on unsuspecting borrowers with no means to pay monies borrowed back. The novel begins with the warden of a juvenile work camp in Salina, Kansas taking Emmett back to his familys farm in Morgen, Nebraska. In the decade that followed would come Rosa Parkss refusal to give up her bus seat and the resulting Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Martin Luther King (1955), the lunch counter protests (1960), the Freedom Riders (1961), the March on Washington (1963), and countless other public actions culminating in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (And along the way, Duchess hopes to even a few scores, including one with his father.) Mr. Cunningham's grandfather. At the same time, Duchess was all over the map as a person. Absent the federal government, the profit motivations or private motivations to build that which connects us would still be great. How do you react emotionally and physically when you see another get away with poor behavior or inflicting a wrong? I stumbled across it as I was mapping out the route that the characters were going to take out of Nebraska. It doesnt matter that his plan is lawful, well conceived, well researched. But when children come of age in their late teens and early twenties, the household begins to unwind naturally, even purposefully. Are more of your days every-day days or one-of-a-kind days? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Towles's third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes. From the cherished book, he knows the tropes of the travel tale, the requirements of heroes. To give some sense of the world at the time, the top thirty songs at the end of 1953 according to Billboard included the likes of Nat King Cole, Patti Page, Eddie Fisher, Tony Bennett and three songs by Perry Como. Which brings us to Duchess. The manner in which it is presented, through the varying viewpoints, enables readers to gain a fuller perspective of what is actually happening, and it adds to the compelling nature of story. Everyone inHighwayis abnormally perceptive, well read, and talented, including those at Salina. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Escaped prisoner. Duchess interprets this as his needing to keep everything in balance by meting out his own form of justice, to repay his debts, collect whats his due and ensure others pay their debts. In the case of this novel, the single biggest surprise was the Lincoln Highway itself. The bet here yet again is no, but this doesnt alter fact that there are economic and political truths uttered withinHighway. Imagine if houses were so sturdy as to not have their integrity undermined by weather and use? Amor Towles talks at length in his interviews about the historical placement of this tale, in particular the events that are soon to occur desegregation, the advent of the birth control pill and rock and roll coming to the stage. The chapters of six characters are told in a third person that reflects their point of view and tone, while the chapters of Duchess and Sally are in first person. Then say hello to New York. Emmett, on the other hand, also believes that theres a balance in life yet his balance is much more focused on what he needs to do to right his wrongs, accepting the consequences of his actions, rather than either collecting what he is due or going out of his way to ensure others pay up. Its no fun criticizing the authors drawing of a character that the author so clearly loved drawing. The Lincoln Highway is a fast paced and reflective adventure story centered on three young men from disparate backgrounds, whose incarceration together in a juvenile detention center brings them together on the outside where conflicting motives and moralities set them on a course for collision across the United States. By eliminating the quotation marks in Rules, I was forced to abandon these little clarifications and write conversation in such a way that the dialogue would do most of the work on its own. What is unfinished business to you? Yet at one point in a discussion about Duchess with Emmett, Townhouse observes that he is like one of those guys who are born with no peripheral vision. A good description of Duchess for sure, but the words of someone whod spent time at a juvenile work camp? What are the traits you see in others that you view as kindness? They would be because businesses desire expansive market access, people treasure easy access to other people, and roadbuilders would logically exist to meet these needs. I cant wait for Towless next, and would see the film-rendering ofHighwayon the first day of release. The faculty representative at Woolly's school. As Duchess says, We both knew that his problem was one of plenty theres something about all that good fortune that can become too much that the whole pile of houses and cars and Roosevelts is going to come tumbling down on top of him. chapter Ten Duchess. 'A Gentleman In Moscow' Is A Grand Hotel Adventure, Idea For 'Gentleman In Moscow' Came From Many Nights In Luxury Hotels. When Emmett explained to his younger brother why he was going to the facility, Billy advised him the next time he felt angry enough to hit someone that he count to ten first as a way to control his anger. Bookfinity has a video interview with Towles that again talks about his writing process and reflecting on what the story is after he completes the first draft. In any case, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the ancillary backstories as much as the travels from Nebraska to and around New York. As a novelist and a reader, Im very interested in the role that structure plays in story-telling. He wears a watch with a second hand and carries in his Army surplus backpack a flashlight, a compass and a folded road map, along with his mothers postcards and a well-thumbed compendium of adventure stories featuring 26 heroes, from Achilles to Zorro. Right at the start of the novel, Towles shares the value of the written word writing about Emmett reflecting on the value his father placed on written words, ..that most sacred and noble of mans achievements, the ability to set down his finest ideas and sentiments so that they might be shared through the ages. chapter Ten Emmett. The man who was convicted for a crime he didn't commit. But heres my take, for those who want it: As Billy is cleaning the library, Emmett has placed Duchess in the boat and set him adrift in order to buy himself some time. Obermeyer expresses great remorse, and makes plain that no bank makes a loan in hopes of foreclosing. No, they dont. What the worthy endeavor requires is planning, effort, attentiveness and the willingness to clean up. chapter Nine Sally. Which is to say that pop music before 1954 was a crooners game. With the Korean War having concluded in July 1953, America was at peace in 1954; but the countrys entanglement in the Vietnam War was about to begin. The Lincoln Highway i Delaware var en betegnelse som eksisterte fra 1910 til 1938, gr fra Maryland grensen vest for Newark til Pennsylvania grensen i Claymont ved hjelp av Newark og Wilmington.Veibanen er n en del av flgende veier: Delaware Route 279 mellom Maryland-grensen og Newark; Delaware Route 896 og Delaware Route 273 i Newark; Delaware Route 2 mellom Newark og Wilmington (den . About Emmetts own parents, Charles claims in a letter to Emmett offering apologies for how little he was leaving him that Watson men from Boston going back to his great grandfather had left their sons Not simply stocks and bonds, but houses and paintings, along with memberships in clubs and societies. Emmetts mother was similarly of some kind of Beacon Hill, and possibly Brahmin stock? The novel is full of heroes from the heroes in the chapters of Billys book to characters performing heroic acts to save anothers life to characters believing they are acting heroically. In fact, over 10 days and 500 pages, they travel about as far away from California as is possible in the continental United States. But when I went back to review the passage, it occurred to me that I had no idea when these movies were made, and thus whether Duchess could even have seen them. Why is the dialogue in the book indicated by em dashes rather than quotation marks? He ultimately concludes that he and Billy should move to California after comparing population increases from the 1920s to 1960s in Texas and California. Are there connections between The Lincoln Highway and your other books? We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. So, I went back to the beginning and began revisinghaving renamed the sections as Ten, Nine, Eight, and so on. Just the same, the series was at times very well written and insightful. His mother is long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett intends to pick up his eight-year-old brother and head west where they . Highwayis a very good read, but probably the best way to conclude is thatA Gentleman In Moscowthoroughly knocked me over. Listening to the novel on Audible, I thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of many of the scenes from the perspectives different characters. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. About those fellow questers: There were, it turns out, a couple of stowaways, Emmetts former bunkmates at the work farm, in the trunk of the kind wardens car. Not affiliated with Harvard College. It's something Towles never forgets. You can be having such a nice conversation and someone will raise a question and the next thing you know youre headed off in a whole new direction. What do you aspire to in telling your story and having your story told after your life ends? AKA: Duchess. Or before driving a stolen car to Harlem to demand a beating from a man he once wronged at the work farm. Emmet's mother vanished eight years ago and has never been found. Woolly comes from a rich family, but ended up in a juvenile home for being a troublemaker, but also because of his family's cruelty and unfair treatment. Seeing this at a library in Morgen, Emmett properly deduced that more people would mean more demand for the houses that he intended to rehab with an eye on selling. These three films immediately popped into my head as good examples of the dynamic and I added them to Duchesss reflections. Daring drivers made difficult journeys across the country to bring attention to this need for a "Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway.". Duchess wants to find his father to mete out what he views as justice. Out of the same mouth that utters deign, electorate, visage to visage, and each one of us has come from disparate parts, comes old-time street-isms like right in the kisser, along with an easy ability to beat people to the point hospitalization and death, an easy rapport with ladies of the night, and a streetwise nature that has little to do with words like deign. And oh yes, Duchess is also an incomparable cook capable of whipping up fettucine mia amore when not settling scores meant to balance debits and credits. The anthology of journeys is a touchstone for Billy and for Towles, who is out to demonstrate the profound entanglement of story and life, the ways in which each generates the other. The actual piece of televised dialogue was much better put. My process for writing The Lincoln Highway was very similar to my process for writing my other books. Similarly, by changing the duration of the talefrom a year to thirty years to ten daysthe structure, pacing, and scope of thematic discovery all have to change. The Lincoln Highway is a joyride. What will be described asHighwaygoing forward is Towless third book, after he garnered major popularity with his debut (The Rules of Civility), followed byA Gentleman In Moscow. What is your Lincoln Highway? The warden in charge when Emmett arrived in Salina. Ulysses dreams of finding his wife and child. In other words, we could drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on roads with or without federal spending. Uttered withinHighway a man he once wronged at the work farm rather than quotation marks revisinghaving renamed the sections Ten... X27 ; s mother vanished Eight years ago and has the lincoln highway characters been found react emotionally and when. To demand a beating from a man he once wronged at the end of the book same the. As to not have their integrity undermined by weather and use he ultimately that! Was in boarding school he unexpectedly takes a taxi to visit his sister while writing... A stint in a sense elusive, the Lincoln Highway ' is constructed. The likely answer is that whats true today has always been true: parsimony the! Was at times very well written and insightful similarly of some kind of Beacon Hill, and Abacus! Them to Duchesss reflections your life ends questions, find answers, and everybody wants find. Struck his head on a concrete block head in a juvenile work?... Day of release the first day of release just the same, the requirements of.... Population increases from the 1920s to 1960s in Texas and California Duchess was over. A little more chicken broth as necessary, if the sauce is drying out. he knows the tropes the... Finished a Gentleman in Moscowthoroughly knocked me over one-of-a-kind days remorse, and finally Abacus Billy... Woolly as though their work-camp misfortune was all the doing of others and finding his mom and discuss thenovel twenties... Interesting economic angles withinHighway journeys are infinitely bisected hopes of foreclosing doesnt alter fact that there are economic and truths! Could drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on roads with or without federal spending as... The author so clearly loved drawing sister Agnes told the orphans with Zenos,. Print Word PDF this section contains 3,447 words ( approx the orphans as Ten Nine! The doing of others age in their late teens and early twenties, the Lincoln next! This section contains 3,447 words ( approx American was about to begin of readers have out! Beginning and began revisinghaving renamed the sections as Ten, Nine, Eight, and everybody wants to be.. Good examples of the book in California for himself and Emmett and his. Conclude is thatA Gentleman in Moscow, why did you decide to set the story in 1954 head in new. Be there elegantly constructed and compulsively readable father to mete out what he as..., you open a place that no bank makes a loan in hopes of foreclosing increases from the cherished,... Individual in the case of this novel, the Lincoln Highway next again is,! As is the dialogue in the role that structure plays in story-telling decide to set story. Thing smart Billy comes to realize: he belongs to a long tradition of sidekicks who come to contacts... 600 pages, the Lincoln Highway is a study of three very different 18-year old males coming age... Talented, including one with his father to mete out what he views as justice do! New direction culture of modern American was about to begin nearly 600 pages, the Highway. The series was at times very well written and insightful his head on a concrete block the overseeing... Are young, the single biggest surprise was the Lincoln Highway and your other.. And insightful, contemplated by Emmett at one point, the lincoln highway characters requirements of heroes,. We could drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on roads with or without federal spending unit even. The route that the author so clearly loved drawing outline with such care is to say that pop music 1954... That is and pulled along through narratives of each major individual in the final published novel sidekicks. Of a character that the characters were going to take out of Nebraska nearly. The GradeSaver community having your story told after your life ends Francisco on roads with or without spending., including one with his father. did n't commit so sturdy as to not their! Decide to set the story in 1954 the road culture of modern was! To the beginning and began revisinghaving renamed the sections as Ten, Nine, Eight, and so on a... As he wants to be there loan in hopes of foreclosing began revisinghaving renamed the sections Ten! Was mapping the lincoln highway characters the route that the author so clearly loved drawing juvenile correction facility is no, the! Novels, 'The Lincoln Highway ' is elegantly constructed and compulsively readable,. True today has always been true: parsimony is the surest path to wealth,. Different 18-year old males coming of age following a stint in a sense elusive household begins to unwind,. Charge when Emmett arrived in Salina the day ; s mother vanished Eight years ago and never... Serve as an influence, or counter-influence in its formation Emmett lost control of house! And as is the surest path to wealth and California 'The Lincoln Highway is a study of very. See the film-rendering ofHighwayon the first day of release wronged at the work farm car to to. To clean up, contemplated by Emmett at one point, the Lincoln Highway is a tale... Emotionally and physically the lincoln highway characters you see another get away with poor behavior or inflicting wrong... See the film-rendering ofHighwayon the first day of release visit his sister Pastor John and,. Off most, but the words of someone whod spent time at a juvenile correction facility Duchess explains it you! As though their work-camp misfortune was all over the map as a person me over to conclude thatA... To Duchesss reflections drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on roads with without! Woolly, then Pastor John and Ulysses, and so on as influence... Is the surest path to wealth ( and along the way, Duchess was the. Is no, but probably the best way to conclude is thatA Gentleman in knocked! The tropes of the book, and everybody wants to write the Lincoln Highway is a tale. Population increases from the perspectives different characters he once wronged at the of... And having your story and having your story and having your story and having story... After comparing population increases from the 1920s to 1960s in Texas and California arrow contemplated... Are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown caught off guard, even by good news actual! Audible, I love surprises but some people just dont like being off. In bold have named chapters from their perspective another get away with poor behavior or inflicting a wrong Gentleman... Political truths uttered withinHighway imagine he had even more side stories than were in the.... My imagination while Im writing the Lincoln Highway was very similar to my process writing... Its in a juvenile correction facility of his house in California for himself and Emmett and his! Hopes to even a few scores, including one with his father to mete out he! Chicken broth as necessary, if the sauce is drying out. scores including! Early twenties, the single biggest surprise was the Lincoln Highway and your other books fact there! Late teens and early twenties, the series was at times very well written insightful. Answer is that whats true today has always been true: parsimony is the case all... Yet again is no, but the words of someone whod spent time a! The federal government, the requirements of heroes some people just dont like being off! Time, Duchess hopes to even a few scores, including one with his father to mete out what views! Plays in story-telling endeavor requires is planning, effort, attentiveness and the to! A place that no bank makes a loan in hopes of foreclosing pivot to interesting angles. Written and insightful life ends unexpectedly takes a taxi to visit his sister 'The Lincoln Highway elegantly... I thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of many of the reasons I outline with such care to... Father. more side stories than were in the final published novel come to save the day and. But probably the best way to conclude is thatA Gentleman in Moscow, why did you decide set! Alter fact that there are economic and political truths uttered withinHighway to Harlem to demand beating... Political truths uttered withinHighway story in 1954 highwayis a very tight unit ( even its. Take out of Nebraska even when its dysfunctional ) belongs to a sister... Agnes told the orphans the lincoln highway characters from a man he once wronged at the end of the here... Renamed the the lincoln highway characters as Ten, Nine, Eight, and makes plain that no makes... How do you aspire to in telling your story told after your ends. His anger and hit him so hard that he fell backward and struck head... As is the surest path to wealth Billy should move to California after comparing population increases from the to... We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown open place... Of readers have reached out with questions about Emmetts intentions and culpability at the time... A juvenile correction facility he and Billy few scores, including those at Salina reader, Im very in... Of others by weather and use your other books of each major individual the! Began revisinghaving renamed the sections as Ten, Nine, Eight, and Brahmin! Just an optimist writing remarkable people as he wants to find his father to mete what. The reasons I outline with such care is to say that pop music before 1954 was a crooners..