Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lincoln in the Bardo, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Unity
Transition and Impermanence
Vice and Virtue
Empathy and Equality
Loss
Summary
Analysis
Bevins calls out to the Bachelors and asks them—when they land—to fly ahead and collect any additional souls who might be able to help convince Lincoln to stay. Because the Bachelors dislike commitment, though, they refuse to do this. Losing hope, the many souls exit Lincoln and, upon doing so, Vollman, Bevins, and the Reverend remember they’ve left Willie at the white stone home.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the Bachelors aren’t among the souls who enter Lincoln. As such, they haven’t experienced the rewarding effect of having come together with their fellow Bardo-dwellers in an act of collective empathy. This is perhaps why they remain unable to think of anyone but themselves—they are still operating as individuals, so they refuse to help Willie.
Themes
