Admiration or Unsightliness?; That’s the Real Question
“One of the most prestigious accomplishments a leader can earn is that of a genuine respect from the people they serve” (Bobby Compton) which is exactly the type of respect that Nathaniel Hawthorne exhibits towards Abraham Lincoln in his selection. Hawthorne’s message resonates an admiration that grows as he recounts his encounter with Lincoln. Through his brief observation, he is able to successfully describe Lincoln and tell of his reverence for the country’s leader. Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses his high esteem for Abraham Lincoln when he paints his recollective picture of the attitudes surrounding their brief meeting. Nathaniel Hawthorne displays his respect for Abraham Lincoln through his application of diction and imagery. Hawthorne uses a rather two-sided point of view when utilizing diction. He describes Lincoln as being a “... loose-jointed figure, of an exaggerated Yankee port and demeanor, whom (as being about the homeliest man I ever saw, yet by no means repulsive or disagreeable) it was impossible not to recognize as Uncle Abe.” Hawthorne implements words with negative connotations such as “homeliest” and “loose-jointed” to describe the…show more content… His attitude for the president was effectually displayed through his utilization of figurative language and sentence structure. Hawthorne did not judge Lincoln’s character by his outer appearance but rather recognized that his appearance was a reflection of the humble and honest man within. He wanted people to believe that there is more to Lincoln than just his rough exterior. People today should show the same respect and acceptance to others as Hawthorne emitted to Lincoln by choosing not to make judgements on others based on their outer image. This great admiration is exactly what Hawthorne displayed when describing his encounter with
