Abigail Adams Esay

During the 1780s John Quincy Adams went traveling aboard with his father and brother to France. While they were traveling, John's mother, Abigail Adams, wrote a letter to him on January 12, 1780. She wrote to him to give him advice about his travels and to encourage him. In the letter, Abigail uses rhetorical devices such as flattery, historical references, and tone.

Adams encourages her son to stay strong and to keep his head up by flattering him in the first half of the letter. she starts the letter off by saying "My dear son", which shows that she wants to comfort her son and gives a positive connotation. She then writes about her worries to make John feel emotional, which is an example of pathos, to lure him into the advice that she is about to give him, In the second paragraph, she flatters her son by mentioning his language skills, then saying that he needs to improve. She uses the metaphor that the author she met with said to make her explanation easier to understand. Her mentioning that it was from an author is an example of ethos because the author is much wiser and smarter than John so the message coming from the author should be taken into consideration.

In the second half of the letter, Adams uses historical references and implies a sense of patriotism in her son to give him a sense of responsibility. In line 27, she implies that he is a genius and uses a historical reference to back it up, "Would Cicero have shown so distinguished an orator if he had not roused, kindled, and inflamed by the tyranny of Catiline, Veres, Mark Anthony?" (lines 30-32). The compliment flatters John while the reference gives and example to strengthen her argument. Adams implies a sense of patriotism to call her son out to action, "Yet it is your lot, my son, to be an eyewitness of these calamities in your own native land, and, at the same time, to owe your existence among a people who have made a glorious defense of their invaded liberties, and who aided by a generous and powerful ally." (lines 43-48) Adams also tells her son that as his mother, she has done so much for him, and if he didn't take advice to heart, her life would be meaningless,",,,that you have a parent who has taken so large and active a share in this contest, and discharged the trust respond in him with so much satisfaction as to be honored with the important embassy which at present calls him abroad." (lines 52-56). She does this to make him feel guilty. Adams closes the letter with a strong and affectionate motherly tone, stating her hopes for him.

While John Quincy Adams was traveling aboard with his father and brother, his mother, Abigail Adams, wrote a letter to him encouraging him of his travels and giving him advice. She uses a variety of rhetorical devices such as tone, historical references, flattery, pathos, and ethos to convey her message.