In the novel Abe, Richard Slotkin does a wonderful job in portraying young Abe. In the book Slotkin attempts to portray Abe's personality characteristics as a young man that is mature for his age but at the same time confused with the world around him. Throughout the story he shows Abe's traits in ways such as his anger and compassion for certain things in his life. Abe was just like any another human being. He showed the same normal emotions and behavioral characteristics.
Throughout the pages of the novel you can see the changes in Abe's attitude. Each situation he handles a little different. Mr. Slotkin tries to reveal Abe as a vigilant young man. There are times when he seems passive and there are other times when you can tell Abe has built up anger in him that he has to let go because it comes bothering him. I don't think there is one defining adjective as to describe Abe's personality. Abe is just like every other human being. In a sweeping generalization you can try and summarize a persons characteristics but you would still be leaving out other qualities of the person that might be just as important.
In chapter two of the text Slotkin writes about when Prescott Oakes who serves as an attorney at law came to Tom Lincoln and Abe and gives them papers. Prescott pulls the papers out from under his jacket and he tells Abe to come get the papers. "Abe couldn't stand it, he ran up, snatched the papers, and ran to Pap. Pap looked down at him something was twisting his face from the inside." [Abe p.22] Right away Abe's dad asks him if he told him to go get the papers. Instantly Abe realizes he had done a terrible thing. This instance shows that Abe does have a little temper and not a lot of patience all the time. You could also look at this situation and see that maybe Abe doesn't always listen to his parents that well or possibly authority in general. It does show his curiosity just like every young boy has but what separates him from the others is that he realizes instantly what he did wrong.