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Essay / Abigail Adams' Use of Rhethoric in Letter to Her Son
Mother Abigail Adams, wrote a letter in 1780 to her son John Quincy Adams, who was overseas with his father John Adams during the War of independence. As a mother, she tries to convince him of the advantages of going abroad. She includes a motherly tone to evoke support, analogies to compare experiences and potential, and historical allusions to motivate Quincy Adams to engage with his experiences to become a better person. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAbigail Adams begins her letter by arguing that even if Quincy Adams didn't want to go abroad, make him go anyway was in her best interest Adams conveys this argument by developing a motherly tone. She includes the expression “my dear son” to emphasize her role as a mother. This phrase establishes sincerity and emphasizes the close relationship between them, so that Quincy Adams understands that although she is speaking seriously, she is also speaking from a mother's perspective. Furthermore, she states that if she had known that he was capable of making his own considered decisions, she would not have forced him to accompany his father on this trip. By explaining this to him, she hopes that he will understand that it is her duty to guide him on the right path while she does not believe that he can do it independently. By using a motherly tone, she wants to make him understand that going abroad was to his advantage. In addition to her motherly tone, she then states that being at her father's side will increase her knowledge. He is expected to improve more than an ordinary, ignorant boy because his father, John Adams, is a diplomat negotiating for peace during the Revolutionary War. She conveys this argument by developing analogies to help her understand that going abroad will benefit her in the long term. Ms. Adams uses a quote from an author where he compares a traveler to a river, she cites "...which flowing through rich veins of minerals improve their qualities as they pass." By using this comparison, she wants to illustrate that through new experiences, he will grow intellectually. She tries to convince him that he needs to experiment to grow because staying at home won't help him learn much. In another instance, she compares his struggles to those of Cicero: "Would Cicero have been such a distinguished orator if he had not been awakened, inflamed and inflamed...The habits of a vigorous mind are formed by facing difficulties.” Through this example, she demonstrates that success comes through difficulties: Cicero only became a great orator because he was challenged. By using this comparison, she hopes that Quincy Adams will understand that even if he didn't want to go abroad, it would benefit him; therefore, he will have to tolerate doing activities that he does not want to do in the future. Adams includes these analogies as lessons to help Quincy Adams make the right decisions and overcome his difficulties. Finally, at the end of her letter, she puts Quincy Adams in charge of helping her country, but nevertheless demonstrates her support. She alludes to the story to give it a feeling of patriotism. She explains that “war, tyranny and desolation are the scourges of the Almighty”. This is why she encourages him to help the country during the war, which she describes as the "scourge of the Almighty". The phrase “plagues of the Almighty” is a biblical reference referring to a punishment inflicted by God. By invoking God's name, she emphasizes the need for him to act in helping to change the nation. This proves..