The Lincoln Highway Essay Questions

How does the concept of justice operate for different characters in The Lincoln Highway?

Three of the book’s main characters are former inmates of Salina, a juvenile detention work center. In the first chapter, Emmett thinks about how he has to spend the rest of his life repaying the moral debt he has accrued by killing someone, accidental though it was. Though the warden assures him that his debt has been paid through his incarceration, Emmett believes he has a long way left to go. Duchess has a different sense of justice. Inspired by Emmett’s willingness to be hit by Jake Snyder, the brother of the boy he killed, Duchess formulates a sense of justice that is based on settling debts. He does this by, in one case, tracking down an ex-warden of Salina and hitting him in the head with a metal pan. In another case, he finds Townhouse, a boy he unintentionally wronged at Salina, and encourages Townhouse to take three swings at him.

What is the significance of Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers?

This is the fantastical title of a big red book which is among Billy’s most prized possessions. The book is exactly what its title promises: the stories of famous figures setting off on the hero’s journey. Billy is greatly influenced by Professor Abernathe’s book. Tales of Odysseus and Achilles give Billy a taste of adventure and travel, while the blank You chapter inspires him to record his own journey with Emmett. Of special note is Professor Abernathe's assertion in the Introduction that a true hero is one who never turns his back on danger, but must instead be prepared to meet it face-to-face. This book itself becomes a variation on the hero’s journey, as Billy looks to it for inspiration and advice on his own adventure.

What is the point of the story about Duchess and the John Wayne movie?

While the tale centers on Duchess unwittingly getting Townhouse in trouble, it is really the sadness that the story engenders in Billy that Emmett finds remarkable. Emmett’s narration of the rainy night in which Townhouse leaves Duchess behind is filled with detail; nothing much about the night is left ambiguous. Nothing, that is, except for one very important detail which flies over Emmett’s head until Billy points it out. Emmett is surprised to learn that Billy feels bad for Duchess, because he has worked out why Townhouse had to leave Duchess behind in the first place: Duchess doesn’t know how to swim and is too embarrassed to admit it. Billy's attention to detail and deep empathy also lead to another realization: that Duchess cannot read either. This revelation, brought on by Billy's sympathy towards Duchess, is what ultimately determines the final outcome of the dramatic showdown at the end of the novel.

How are female characters portrayed in the story? Are there any strong female characters in the novel?

Though the novel is mainly centered on its four male main characters Emmett, Billy, Duchess, and Woolly, there are a few female characters who influence the story. Billy’s main motivation for going to California is to find his mother, who abandoned their family when he was a baby. Duchess, too, has grown up without a mother figure, as his mother died when he was young. Sally is the lone female figure to be given first-person narration in the novel, and her striking insight and scathing critique of society’s bias against her gender provide a powerful contrast to male perspectives in the book. However, her sparse chapters do not constitute a strong or definitive female presence in the novel. Besides Sally, the female characters of the novel are predominantly characterized by their absences in the lives of their male children.

Is Duchess a good or bad person by the end of the novel?

Duchess is one of the most complex characters in The Lincoln Highway. The son of a washed-up Shakespearean actor, Duchess has inherited his father’s charisma and flair for the dramatic. He easily charms the people around him into giving him what he wants, and seamlessly lies his way out of thorny situations. While his actions can be violent and immoral—such as his assault of Ackerly and Jake’s friend—Duchess’ motivations are often well-intended. Even after “borrowing” Emmett’s car, Duchess truly plans to reimburse Emmett for the trouble once they get their hands on Woolly’s sizable inheritance.