Vidal's Lincoln

Gore Vidal’s “Lincoln” was an excellent narrative of the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

Through Vidal’s portrayal of the personality of Lincoln and the people surrounding him it

was easy to get an idea of the leadership role that Lincoln played during his presidency.

After reading many accounts of Lincoln during my research for my paper, I found that

Vidals account was extremely accurate. Most interesting was the commanding yet

passive relationship that Lincoln had with the members of his cabinet and his generals.

Vidal also gave a portrayal of the capitol during the 1860’s that is seldom mentioned in

any of the Literature that I have read. These accounts really help to get a feel for the

environment in which Lincoln made his decisions. Lincoln’s family life was also

revealed in some detail in the novel which helps us to see the personal dilemmas and

tragedies that Lincoln had to overcome whil

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In the book Vidal shows us a picture of the capitol at the time. The

fictional character Lincoln in Vidal’s book in regards to to Salmon P.

Throughout the book and according to history Lincoln had many problems with

he numerous generals that he had during the war.

Lincoln cabinet was strategically chosen by Lincoln, he chose those in his party

who ran against him in the election or were close to the Republican Party. Lincoln being a brilliant politician knows

that balance is neccesary to win the war and to being a successful leader. Lincoln maintains his leadership with ease. Vidal’s book says that Burnsides gave

his resignation, but we could feel the dissapointment of the President. Mary’s

frequent bouts with headaches and her preoccupation with dreams portrays a woman who

is very needy of her husbands attention. We can see Lincoln’s frustration

mount as he goes through each general. Still, as the book portrays, Lincoln goes on with his

duties. Since

Washington was a neutral state much of the population was against Lincoln and sided

with the confederacy. Vidal’s

Lincoln reveals Lincolns thinking about these people and how he places them in. Overall Vidal’s portrait

of Lincoln was interesting and accurate to my knowledge.

Approximate Word count = 615
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

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