Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Decisions Part 2

In the second section of Honor's Voice, Wilson writes about Lincoln at the age of Twenty-Two as he arrives in New Salem, Illinois only a boat's ride away from his hometown of Springfield. At first glance, Wilson uses Lincoln's own words to describe Lincoln's appearance: "He was, he said later, 'a strange, friendless, uneducated, penniless boy, working on a flat boat - at then dollars per month'"(Wilson 56) Lincoln had come to the town to work, returning home after several months had passed. When he came back again for work, "his unrolled pants...were several inches too short. And even on the frontier, people judged by appearances, and the impression made by the young Abraham Lincoln was hardly favorable" (Wilson 64).

Yes, this was Lincoln's appearance, but to use the old expression, 'don't judge a book by its cover' wouldn't be inappropriate in Lincoln's case; "In his dress and physical appearance he was every inch a bumpkin, a yokel, a slightly eccentric example of a recognizable type" (Wilson 65). Through Lincoln, we see this classical example. One's appearance doesn't always tell you what one will be like in character. In fact, one's appearance may be completely misleading if either by purpose, like Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, or if by nature, like in Abraham Lincoln's case. It was what Lincoln experienced the first time in New Salem that led him on a course of self-education. He had no formal education so he resorted to teaching himself through poetry, history, and philosophy. Through philosophy and skeptic religious studies "he pursued a course of intellectual inquiry that challenged some of the most deeply held beliefs of his time and place" (Wilson 85). Choosing what he wished to study, Lincoln became educated in reason which led him to adopt ideas which were "against the grain" (Wilson 85). These ideas, and therefore his education, led him to make the ethical decisions of his presidency.

Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Decisions Part 1

Honor's voice, written by Douglas L. Wilson, is an auto-biography about Abraham Lincoln and the transformation he went through from an early age. Many people, when they think of Abraham Lincoln, think about the success of his presidency, his brown beard, or his tall top hat, but what is more interesting is the path Lincoln traveled in becoming a great president. Wilson stresses the importance of Lincoln's early life and the struggles he went through. He says, "Lincoln's early life and the circumstances that brought about his emergence as a man of consequence constitute an important part of the Lincoln story and, it can be argued, are in need of particular attention" (Wilson 4). For much of the lengthy introduction, Wilson makes this clear. From his repeating this, it becomes apparant to us that even if a person has achieved prestige or high-standing, there being in that position is not important. What is important is the path one takes to achieve that standing. What is important is what one endures on the road to bettering oneself. In Lincoln's case, his path wasn't as easy as it would seem: "He struggled with doubts and fears who he was and what he could become" (Wilson 14).


The first glimpse we get of Lincoln as a boy shows us how he may struggled with himself. When he was wrestling with a boy named Jack Armstrong, he finally decided to end the fight saying, "Jack let's quit. I can't throw you - you can't throw me" (Wilson 47). This does not directly tell us that Lincoln struggled at all, but as the author later explains, we see the fights significance. This was the first time in his life where he had dealt with a difficult situation. In the past, he had been unable to do so. According to Wilson, "Lincoln had even more difficulties to surmount then this...periods of deep depression...and moments of suicidal depression" (Wilson 51). From this, as I have not even begun to get into the meat of the story, I assume that Lincoln went through some rough patches. He did come out of, though. No matter how difficult something is, it is important to overcome those difficulties.