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9. Sally
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Lincoln Highway, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Stories, Truth, and Lies
Debts and Atonement
Maturity and Responsibility
Adventure
Pride vs. Humility
Summary
Analysis
Later that night, Duchess goes to sit on Emmett’s bed, but he decides not to when he notices how neatly Sally made it. Instead, he sits on the floor and thinks about the Watson brothers, flashing back to earlier that day. In the flashback, Emmett returns home and matter-of-factly tells Billy that Jake punched him. When Emmett adds that he didn’t hit Jake back, the brothers smile at each other, which bemuses Duchess.
Billy and Emmett have a brotherly connection that Duchess, whose only family is his neglectful father, doesn’t understand. Billy depends on Emmett as a guardian, and Emmett takes that responsibility seriously enough to work on his anger issues. Billy recognizes and appreciates this effort, unlike Duchess, who views violence simply as a means to an end.
Themes
After midnight, Duchess looks in on the other boys, all of whom are asleep. He is looking around, trying to steal Emmett’s keys, when he sees a car pull up outside the house. The driver leaves something on the porch, then drives away. Duchess steps out and finds Sally has left him a box of jam.
Duchess’s plan to steal Emmett’s keys highlights how incapable he is of forming meaningful connections. Duchess likes Emmett and enjoys staying at the Watsons’ farm, but he bears his friends no personal loyalty and is ready to betray them to suit his own desires. His selfishness is emphasized by Sally’s generosity, as she leaves a gift for Duchess despite barely knowing him.
Themes
