Motif of Lincoln

Lincoln is an important motif in Towles’ novel because the story is about hope and healing. As the 16th President of the United States, Lincoln offered hope and healing for the country after the Civil War. The central plot in the novel is Emmett and Billy’s plan to drive to San Francisco, following the Lincoln Highway, where they hope to find their mother. Continuing this motif of Lincoln, Woolly’s great-grandfather was a Lincoln enthusiast. There are other references to Lincoln scattered throughout the novel to keep Lincoln in the reader’s mind.

Billy associates the Lincoln Highway with his mother. Even though Billy’s mother abandoned him when he was just a baby, he has had hope ever since he found the postcards that he and Emmett can find their mother. He believes she left a trail for them, following the Lincoln...