The Lincoln Highway

by

Amor Towles

The Lincoln Highway: 6. Ulysses Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
When Ulysses tells his friend at the railroad camp that he and the Watson boys will be spending another night, Ulysses’s friend is surprised, noting that Ulysses has not spent two nights in the same place in eight years. Ulysses brushes him off and looks at the Manhattan skyline. He has no love for New York, but he wants to spend more time with Billy, whom he has grown to care for.
Billy’s love for stories lets him see the world with wonder, and that youthful innocence and optimism is softening Ulysses’s jaded persona. He has given Ulysses someone to care for, after Ulysses has spent years with no obligation to anyone but himself. This feeling of responsibility borne of love and care gives Ulysses a sense of purpose.
Themes
Stories, Truth, and Lies Theme Icon
Maturity and Responsibility Theme Icon