Lincoln in the Bardo Summary & Key Insights

George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo tells the story of President Abraham Lincoln's grief following the death of his eleven-year-old son, Willie. The novel unfolds primarily within the bardo, a Tibetan Buddhist concept representing the transitional state between life and death, where Willie's spirit resides. This liminal space is populated by a multitude of restless souls, each grappling with their own unresolved earthly attachments.

The narrative centers on Willie's spirit, still clinging to life and unaware of his death. He interacts with other spirits inhabiting the bardo, primarily through fragmented conversations and sensory experiences. Among these spirits are several key characters: Roger Bevins, a cynical and self-absorbed ghost who initially serves as a guide for Willie, but whose cynicism slowly erodes; Hans Vollman, a more compassionate spirit, also trying to navigate the bardo; and a chorus of other spirits, all sharing their tales of death and lingering regrets.

The central plot revolves around the efforts of these spirits, especially Roger and Hans, to help Willie accept his death and move on. Lincoln, deeply distraught and haunted by his loss, visits Willie's grave in the cemetery where the bardo is situated. His grief, palpable and raw, permeates the narrative. He's portrayed not as a towering historical figure, but as a grieving father desperately clinging to his son, even beyond the grave. The novel doesn’t show direct interaction between Lincoln and Willie in the bardo, but Lincoln's presence and emotional turmoil profoundly impact the events within it. His sorrow, expressed through his actions and the accounts of those who witnessed his visit, serves as a catalyst for change within the bardo itself.

The novel's structure is unconventional, shifting between the present-day actions of historical figures and fictional spirits within the bardo, utilizing historical accounts, newspaper clippings, and fragmented dialogues to build a sense of the past and present coexisting. The shifting perspectives and fragmented narratives reflect the chaotic and unresolved nature of grief and the liminal space of the bardo.

The overarching themes explore grief, loss, and the human condition. Saunders examines the complexities of death and the process of letting go, highlighting the enduring power of love and the difficulties of accepting mortality. The narrative subtly critiques historical narratives, showing how the sanitized image of Lincoln masks a man consumed by grief, challenging our understanding of public personas and their private struggles. The novel also emphasizes the universality of human experience, finding commonality between historical figures and anonymous souls trapped in the bardo, united by their shared experience of mortality and the lingering impact of unresolved earthly attachments. Ultimately, Lincoln in the Bardo is a moving and unconventional meditation on death, grief, and the enduring power of human connection.