Reading Check
What was important about Lincoln’s eventful life? Make a list, in chronological
order, of the main events in Lincoln’s life up to the time he wrote “Not Much of Me.”
First Thoughts
1. Did these two pieces tell you anything new about Abraham Lincoln? Did they affect the way you feel about him? Be sure to complete the chart you filled in before you read.
Shaping Interpretations
2. People reveal a great deal about themselves when they look back on their lives. Which of the following words would you use to describe Lincoln’s tone as he writes about himself in “Not Much of Me”? Find details in the selection to support your answers.
bitter
playful
regretful
nostalgic critical
humorous
affectionate
humble serious
awed
sad
sarcastic
3. How does Lincoln describe his education? What do you think enabled him to achieve so much?
4. Someone once said that Lincoln omitted from this thumbnail autobiography all that gave his life direction. What do you think this means—what would you like to ask Lincoln about his life that he failed to tell you?
Extending the Texts
5. If someone asked any of the recent presidents to sum up their lives, what might they focus on? What tone do you think these modern presidents might take?
6. In 1860, when Lincoln ran for president, television was not available. Most of his speeches were delivered to local crowds and then published, sometimes days later, in newspapers or on posters. Suppose Abraham Lincoln were alive today and planned to run for president of the United States. What do you think his chances would be? What kind of platform do you think he would run on? How would the media treat him? How would he do in television campaigning?
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