My Dear Hamilton

“Silence is often the only weapon available to ladies. And I wield mine expertly.”

Eliza repeats this sentiment throughout the novel, especially during her moments of greatest distress. This quote encapsulates the theme of The Power of Silence, which contrasts with Hamilton’s constant need to say something about every situation. It also highlights the position of women in Eliza’s time and how they had to devise indirect ways to assert their power.

“But if there is anything that marks my character, it’s that I have never rested easily in the face of injustice […] If I’d been born a son, I’d have joined the army to see our family honor restored […] But how, I wondered, could a daughter make a difference?”

Eliza is aware of her primary character traits. She is concerned with how injustice can be remedied and honor can be restored. Though she does not join the army, she fights for justice and honor in other ways.

“When the fighting is done, I will make this a better world, Betsy. I promise you. An audacious vow no mere mortal should make. A vow born as much of egotism as of idealism, as much self-justification as godliness. But young and hopeful as I was, I believed him. I put my faith in him. And at least in that, I was right to. Because whatever else he did, Alexander Hamilton did make this a better world. He kept that promise. In truth, he spent his life keeping that promise.”

Eliza, writing from the future, rethinks what she once believed. This quote highlights Hamilton’s vast ambitions and how his “egotism” and “idealism” were equally matched in Eliza’s eyes. Especially when she is younger, Eliza is idealistic as well, and the evolution from her young idealism to mature realism show how much her character grows.