Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage, in regards to the American Civil War once despondently wrote, “It was not well to drive men into final corners; at those moments they could all develop teeth and claws” (Crane). Such describes the desperate and harrowing atmosphere of the time during which Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States. As Abraham Lincoln once perspicaciously reflected upon the significance of the Civil War, "The struggle of today is not altogether for today — it is for a vast future also" meaning that the war was paramount to the survival of the union and thus, one of the most momentous occurrences of American history (Lincoln). Nathaniel Hawthorne, a transcendentalist and author of The Scarlet …show more content…
3). Hawthorne is also effectively able to convey the fact that despite his lack of physical attractiveness, Lincoln remained strong of mind and relatable to the average American citizen making him the perfect president to confidently lead the Union through the Civil War. When Hawthorne bluntly states, "there is no describing his lengthy awkwardness, nor the uncouthness of his movement" he successfully highlights the fact that Lincoln, while lacking in beauty, made up for all of his faults with his personable attitude and his tremendous intelligence necessary to lead the nation through the civil war, which left Hawthorne awe-struck since such an attitude was unheard of and simultaneously valued in a president (para. 3). Through his usage of both a reverent tone and descriptive imagery, Hawthorne is effectively able to convey the fact that regardless of his exterior appearance, Lincoln's exceptional intelligence and approachability made him quintessential of leadership and thus suitable to lead the country to victory. To convey the fact that while physically unappealing Lincoln's brilliance and congenial attitude made him an excellent president, the speaker
In Abraham Lincoln, by George McGovern, McGovern summarizes and gives insight on one of the United States’ most well-known and highly praised presidents, Abraham Lincoln. McGovern thoroughly outlines Lincoln’s life, his struggles and how he became the great president that he was. One point McGovern continues to mention is how no matter how bad a situation was or even when people doubted Lincoln, he would take his defeats and preserve. In the beginning of the book, McGovern recounts Lincoln’s life as a kid and a young adult. He describes how no matter how bad Lincoln failed or how sad he was, “Lincoln would not resign himself to failure and loss; instead he learned from each experience and carried on” . In addition, McGovern continues to mention how Lincoln never stopped learning. From a young age, Lincoln loved to learn, read and expand his knowledge so he could fully analyze any situation. According to McGovern, this personality trait allowed Lincoln to work and rise up from a farmer’s son to the President of the United States. This trait, also, allowed Lincoln “to take a far more active role in managing military affairs” . Lincoln was able to come up with a new strategy for the Union to win the Civil War.
This postcard builds suspense in the reader’s mind. Alex saying that this adventure could kill him makes the reader interested in finding out more. “If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again I want you to know you’re a great man.” (Krakauer 3).
He was able to relate and convince his audience with his strong sound argument. He knew what the people wanted to hear and how to present it. He took the time to study what he believed the American public wanted and how to talk to them in order to get them on his side. He was able to bring in ethos, pathos, logos, parallelism, and antithesis to have a successful persuasive speech. This is a mark of an extraordinary speaker and in his case a politician who was able to persuade the American people to trust in his beliefs and
Beginning with building his credibility, Lincoln uses compassionate and relatable language in his speech to engage the audience in his purpose to show the nation’s future. He
Writing an excellent book, short story,or poem is an ability very few people posses : Nathaniel Hawthorne is someone who had this talent. Hawthorne's writing is mostly centered around romantic fiction, he has written a plethora of things but he is mostly remembered for his short stories and novels. Before divulging into his work, a reader should know where his writing comes from, his inspirations, originality and what some would call pure genius. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an individual whose work has been and should continue to be analyzed for years to come due to his unique twist on romantic fiction. Many of his works have casted a silhouette over America through his intricate stories and writing style that revealed the themes of psychology and human nature during the 19th century. Hawthorne’s ominous style makes his works into oddities compared to the other romantic fiction novels in his time. Many of his works, such as The Scarlet Letter, exemplifies the epitome of Hawthorne’s distinct outlook on the moralistic attitudes of
For a mere human to comprehend his role in life is something that does not occur much, and for one to follow it so willingly is practically unheard of. Even more so, he would not let it go to his head, but remained humble and modest throughout his life. I refer back to Lincoln's response to Horace Greeley, and to the Emancipation Proclamation itself, and to all the countless decisions he made during his presidency. In all his actions, the future of the American experiment was the central idea of the war, and he would do all that is necessary to preserve it. Lincoln worked to uphold the Constitution and continue the work that the Founding Fathers had begun. His immense moral decisions in the political arena helped to secure the future, and he did it all, not for himself, but for the people.
Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” is a solid example of a man that displays key leadership qualities to sway the many to do the right thing even though it is not the easiest path. For example, Abraham Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery for the greater good of mankind and to prove that freedom and equality was a right given to us all by God. He displayed great courage and integrity to pursue
In his speech, Lincoln used a passionate and inclusive tone to give the impression that they were all equal and were at risk of losing the same things. This could inspire a feeling of unity between Lincoln and the audience. “…devoted altogether to saving the Union…” (paragraph 2). In this statement, Lincoln used both diction and sentence structure to impact his audience. He used emotionally charged words such as “devoted” and “saving” to express a sense of passion. He also used long sentences that would reiterate similar ideas to help get his point across. “…to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan…” (paragraph 4). In this part of his address, Lincoln uses imagery, facts, and
When Lincoln interacted with Scott, he showed a deference for Scott’s age and knowledge. Thus allowing Scott to share his skills, this humility was shored by General McClellan. Lincoln later changes his approach towards McClellan, trying to boost his confidence and courage. Williams continually shows McClellan as an egotist, who eventually replaced Scott as General in chief. McClellan is depicted as unsure, indecisive, self-centered and fearful of declaring war. Lincoln continually defends McClellan but is not afraid of tactfully sending criticism his way. One could easily be lead to believe that Lincoln was more of a placator. Williams shows us that Lincoln never hesitated in making difficult decisions based on results. Lincoln’s people skills are easily ascertained in Williams writings. Lincoln seems keen at applying pressure as well as giving his generals a free hand when necessary.
“Abraham Lincoln and The Second American Revolution”, written by James M. McPherson, one of America’s historians. McPherson has also written,” Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era”, “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief”, “Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam” and many other history related books. “Abraham Lincoln and The Second American Revolution” consists of seven essays throughout on important themes in American history and unusual standpoints on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln.
President Abraham Lincoln orated a powerful persuasive speech in his Second Inaugural Address, just one month before the end of the Civil War. This speech shed light to his contemplation of the effects of the Civil War and provided his vision for the future of the nation. Lincoln’s address was written through a logical theme that focused on the unity of the country. He used religion, specific diction, and flat-out logical thinking to convey his message. The speech was given as the Civil War was ending, and President Lincoln wanted to provide a bit of light in a very dark time. He could have given the lengthy speech that the audience expected; but instead, he gave a short message of unity that fueled the United States for years to come.
Even though Abraham Lincoln was the president I knew most about before taking this class, I've realized over the course of this semester that I really didn't know much about him at all. I hadn't tried to picture him very complexly, he was just the Lincoln I had read about in history books--the poor, pioneer boy who through sheer smarts and determination became President of the United States and saved the Union. And because our culture has mythologized the story of Lincoln so heavily, I don't think I've ever really though much about Lincoln the Person. Both taking this class, reading the textbook, Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America, and reading George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo for my essay have helped humanize Lincoln. Because taking
Lincoln's greatness can be seen from the very beginning of his presidency, even from the Great Debates
A little more than a month had passed since his inauguration. The differences of North and South could no longer be settled by peaceful means. Fort Sumter had been fired on. The President had already asked for 75,000 volunteers, and now, in May, he was asking for 500,000 more men to fight for the preservation of the Union. Lincoln’s cheeks had grown more cavernous, his brow and eyes more deeply furrowed. A man who saw him at this time, Gustave Koerner, commented: “Something about the man, the face, is unfathomable”. But it was his secretary, John G. Nicolay, who explained most eloquently why Lincoln’s hidden face could never be caught: “Graphic art was powerless before a face that moved a thousand delicate gradations of line and contour, light
In this film, Steven Spielberg portrays Abraham Lincoln like a great master of charisma and elegant manners, a mankind with the inherent leader’s stratagem of making others wishing to gladden him. According to the plot, he speaks in an unpredictably easy and clear voice, using a specific language that in some parts reveals his humble personality and influence of his upbringing, that is nevertheless passing into the monologue of an elder person, who is fatigued by war and personal issues. This film describes President Lincoln as an individual lacked social success, but who had substantial acquaintance and intelligence of human nature. Moreover, film focuses on the last several months of Abraham Lincoln’s life, including all the important events as the passage of the 13th Amendment