Mary And Abraham example essay topic

"Love is Eternal", or at least that is the message sent from the novel by Irving Stone; it was the inscription Mr. Lincoln had on his wife's wedding ring. Love is Eternal is focused on the life of Mary Todd. From her teen years, until she is widowed when here husband is assassinated. Mary knew and learned to love the man Abraham Lincoln.

Their love was not easy, and was plagued with grief and hardship, but through it all, the feeling that love indeed, is eternal shines through. Mr. Lincoln was not a very social man when he met Mary, but with her help and love, the two made it through; from lawyer to President of the United States. Their love was a stormy battle to conquer though, and they had very many trials to prove their love. Mary met Abraham when she was nineteen. She had always had a heart for politics and accompanied her father to many speeches by political figures.

One night, while a Mr. Baker was giving a meeting, Abraham literally dropped from a trap door in the ceiling, and into Mary's life. She knew at once she liked him. He was not social, and hardly anyone knew him. He worked for Mary's cousins law firm, but none of the Todd's were friends with Mr. Lincoln. They discovered a great joy in each others company, and Mary brought up the issue of marriage. Mary was Abraham's first love and because of that, he was not quick to accept the idea of marriage, but she made arrangements anyway.

The wedding was set for the New Years, but Abraham never showed. Humiliated, Mary and Abraham separated. For nearly twenty-two months, Mary saw nothing of Abraham. Those were her hardest years ever.

She was plagued with sickness and grief. When Abraham finally returned to her, they married, and perhaps the separation strengthened their relationship in the long run, but those twenty-two lost months Mary spent without Abraham were devastating to her. The next big storm that rolled into their life, grew up little by little. One could say it was like a gradual cloud storm that rose, undetected and then lingered in the air. No rain falling, but the insinuation of it always was lurking about their heads. What was this stormy weather, that dampened the Lincoln's life?

That existed but was never brought to light? The one thing Abraham loved, though never stated aloud, was his mistress: Politics. Abraham loved this mistress. He worked with his law firm for long days.

He would leave his wife and eventually children for months while he rode circuit, giving speeches. He and his mistress, hand and hand, were unstoppable. At times he became so intimate with his mistress he would neglect his wife and children for months. It caused suspicion among friends; who was it that Abraham was with?

His true love: Law. This one factor is ever present throughout the Lincoln's early marriage, but finally Mary overcomes the mistress. Pushes her aside until she is first and foremost, and the mistress then being pushed back, behind their children and behind their love. The final, most potent storm that tears through their lives is the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln as the president of the United States of America.

While this fulfills dreams in both Mary and Abraham, it also reawakens nearly every nightmare they ever had. They are immediately plunged into the Civil War, which strips much happiness from their life. Ridicule projected to Mary Lincoln by the press is unforgivable to her. The failures of the Unions armies only dampens their gaiety. Once Abraham is elected into a second term as president, and the union defeats the South in the Civil War, it looks as if their hardship in the presidency is over. That is, until, President Lincoln is assassinated.

This destroys their love, doesn't it? Mary is widowed, and Abraham dead. What has she to live for now? The storm cloud finally open and pour relentlessly on them, saturating them in icy rain. Surely now, the events are tragic. The storminess of their love is washed away by the flooding waters.

Yet, there, Mary still finds a light. Her wedding ring and the inscription, Love is Eternal. Abraham was right; that was what she had to live for. Love. All in all, their relationship was torn and scattered; Mary's time alone without Abraham for twenty-two months. Her battle with his mistress, which she ultimately won and stood triumph over, and lastly, the election of Lincoln as President.

They weathered it all however, together. Once Lincoln was killed, Mary found little to live for, save her love for him. That was the only thing she could cling to. Her love for him, her love for her sons, because everything else had been taken from her, and there was nothing left that she could solidly cling to. Except love. Love is Eternal.

Love Is Eternal, by Irving Stone.