How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
My sword has done its part. My pen must take me the rest of the way. (8.41)
We place a lot of emphasis on Abe's strength, but he's really multi-talented, like a singer who can also act. He's the Justin Timberlake of his time. (We're totally kidding. Except we're not.) Over his life, he's trained to be a good speaker and writer. But all of these skills are aimed towards one single goal: eliminating all bad vampires and slavery from America. We're waiting for Justin to do the same.
Quote #8
Doubts flooded my mind as we climbed the steps to the porch. Did I still possess the strength to best a vampire? Had I prepared Lamon to face an opponent of such speed and strength? Was Speed still equal to the task at hand? Indeed, the ax in my hands felt heavier than it had since I was a child. (10.90)
Abe certainly seems like the strongest and best vampire hunter, so its understandable that he's worried for his friends. Even he can get into dicey situations, so how are they supposed to fare well? (But then, remember that having friends you can ask to come hunt vampires is a whole other form of strength.) But notice how Abe's thoughts slip from his friends back to himself, and his growing weakness. It's terrible to get old and we advise you to avoid it.
Quote #9
Mary couldn't bear to be in the room with her dying husband. She remained in the parlor of Petersen's Boarding House all night, weeping. Robert and Tad arrived sometime after midnight and took their place at Abe's bedside, just as Abe had knelt at his dying mother's side almost fifty years earlier. They were joined by Gideon Wells, Edwin Stanton, and an endless parade of Washington's best doctors, all of whom came to offer their advice. But nothing could be done. Dr. Robert King Stone, the Lincolns' family physician, examined the president during the night and concluded that his case was "hopeless." (13.88)
No matter how strong and skilled people may be, there's a certain sense of human helplessness in the face of death in this book. When Abe gets shot, there's not much anyone can do, no matter how good a doctor they might be. Even more strikingly, notice how Mary is really crushed by her experiences of Abe's (and her children's) death. Sure, she's got First Lady skills, but they're no match for her grief.