Abigail Adams Letter To Her Son Rhetorical Analysis

She uses this rhetorical strategy to connect with her son and show affection. Throughout her letter Adams says "My son". She states this multiple times to clarify that this letter is not to scold him but to guide and inform him. By Adams continually emphasizing support for her son,

Letter to Her Daughter from the New White House Abigail Adams does not like the new White House because it is unfinished, The City is surrounded by tree’s, and The buildings in the city aren't pleasant. The first reason that Abigail Adams does not like the White House is because it is unfinished. From the text “ There is not a single apartment finished, and all withinside, except the plaster, has been done since Briesler came.” This is my evidence because it shows that she does not like that the apartments and plastering is not done.

Her point is that talents will not improve unless used in situations that, although may be difficult, will improve and open up more opportunities. Despite this letter is written to her son, the point she tries to prove to her son is a philosophy that should be lived by in life. As she says in the letter, “the habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.” The struggles and toils everyone experiences in life are part of the never ending learning process that is required in life. Even though these difficulties may be a pain, your own character and talents will never improve if the these struggles did not

Golden Line: “I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested, and I snobbishly repeat, a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth.” “I am still worry about losing a philosophical idea if I forget that, as my teacher dramatically suggested, and I eagerly learn, everybody is different and created with different strength and weaknesses at birth.”

Every mother wants what the best for her child, even if that child may not believe so. In her letter to her son, John Quincy Adams, Abigail Adams addresses him during his travels in France and defends the rationale of her previous advice while providing her new advice, and partly demands, on the subjects of honor and duty. Abigail Adams uses emotional appeals in the form of personal repetition, flattering metaphors, and prideful personification in order to advise and persuade her son in his personal growth and appeal to his personal qualities, such as pride of honesty and knowledge, to spur his ambitions and actions. To start off the letter, after greeting him and explaining the occasion of her writing, Abigail uses personal repetition with the word “your,” before qualities and events with a positive connotation to appeal to John’s pride and leave him open to listen to more of her her advice, as she already successfully advised him in his trip to France. In only the second sentence of the letter, Abigail already throws in that her advice is, to John, “for your own benefit,” (5) later she speaks of, once again to John, “your knowledge,” (11) and finally, “your understanding,” (14).

She uses allusion to invoke a sense of purpose in her son completing his journey and gaining the knowledge he needs in order to grow. When Abigail Adams suggest that her son was fortunate enough to witness "who have made glorious defense of their invades liberties. " She uses Americas history into becoming an independent country to show hardship that will come but the outcome from it is even better. Next example she used is, "Would Cicero have shone so distinguished an orator if had not been roused, kindled, and inflamed by the tyranny of Catiline, Verres, and Mark Antony." Adams proposes that adversity will come in life, but it will make him a great leader.

Abigail Adams in the letter to her son, John Quincy Adams, suggests that he be brave and a great man. Adams supports her suggestion to John by explaining what he should do and that he should be strong, mentally, on the trip. The authors purpose is to encourage the son to be a strong man in order to last on the trip, do honor to their country, and become a great man in the future. The author writes in an inspirational tone for her son John Quincy Adams. She incorporates many different literary techniques in order to get the mood and tone across to her son.

Abigail Adams, the mother of John Quincy Adams, is entering a new chapter in her life in which her youngest son is becoming a man. John, his elder brother, and his father are traveling on a long, treacherous voyage to France. Abigail Adams writes John an encouraging letter that will help display her feelings towards him as a mother. Adams uses a number of different rhetorical devices such as a myriad of different historical and metaphorical examples, as well as a motherly diction in order to leave a desired confidence in her son.

Abigail states "Would Cicero have shone so distinguished an orator if her had not been roused, kindled, and enflamed in tyranny of catline, vernes and Mark Antony?". In this allusion she makes a reference to her son, indicating that if he is never aroused and pushed, then he will never know his full potential. This is also a rhetorical question asking John if he is willing to rise to the challenge of new experiences. Abigail Adams also alludes to the examples of her husband, who shares a large interest in politics. She references him saying " Nor it ought to be one at the least of your excitement toward exerting every power and faculty of your mind, that you have a parent who takes to large and active share in contest.".

Abigail employs strategies of emotionally charged words and phrases that only a mother can say to her son. In her letter she opens the letter with the phrase, “MY DEAR SON”. This phrase is notable because of the effects that it is intended to give to the audience, her son John Quincy Adams, she is setting a mood and tone of a loving and compassionate mother. She is using the position of her authority as his mother to push him her love for him is why she knows this trip is great thing for him.

For a very long time, the voting rights of the citizens have been a problem in the US. It started out with only men with land being able to vote, and then expanded to white men, and then to all men. However, women were never in the situation, they were disregarded and believed to not be worthy enough to have the same rights as men. They were essentially being treated as property, therefore having no rights. But, in Susan B. Anthony’s speech, she hits upon the point that women are just as righteous as men.

Adams uses an abundance rhetorical devices in her letter to her son. The strong diction illustrates what challenges must be faced to become a hero. This tells John Quincy Adams that it will not be easy, but it is worth it. The analogies compare a traveler to a river and wisdom (or fruit) to experience and laziness.

A twelve year old boy a world away from his parents once wrote in a letter to his parents: “And I have nothing to comfort me, nor is there nothing to be gotten here but sickness and death.” This child was Richard Frethorne, and in “Letter to Father and Mother,” he communicates his desperation caused by the new world’s merciless environment to his parents to persuade them to send food and pay off his accumulated debts from the journey. He accomplishes this with deliberate word choice and allusions to the bible to appeal to ethos, pathos, and logos. Frethorne uses diction, imagery, and facts to create a letter to his parents which aims to garner sympathy for his state of life and to persuade them to send food and pay off his debts.

First off Adams uses comparisons and contrast and contrasting to help illustrate a better understanding. In the first piece of evidence she compares a "a judicious traveler to a river". Adams wanted effect was to imply that the more knowledge you have, the more you will be able to be on your own in the future. In her second example, she contrast "a dormant man in retirement, and a hero in difficult times". She suggests

In her letter to her son, John Quincey Adams, Abigail Adams uses picturesque diction, a supportive tone, and allusions to encourage John Quincey Adams to persevere through his current journey and the ones to come, even when he does not want to. The first noticeable technique that Abigail Adams uses is picturesque diction that develops through her elaborate descriptions of the trials of life. In her letter, she describes the struggles in life as if she was referring to people on a battlefield, flourishing her words with imagery therefore, Abigail Adams portrays her purpose by painting a picture in John Quincey Adams’ head about the victories of justice, wisdom and fortitude. Furthermore, this diction helps her develop symbolism, creating an image of a brave citizen, an ideal that most young men strive for, achieving her purpose to encourage John Quincey Adams to persevere through his strenuous life journey.