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Rhetorical Analysis Of Letters By Abigail Adams

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First lady, Abigail Adams, in her letter to her son, John Quincy Adams on January 19, 1780 (three years before the end of The American Revolution) informs her son following her advice, will lead him somewhere great. Mrs. Adams purpose is to persuade her son to listen to her advice in order to prosper. She adopts a maternal and supportive tone, appropriate comparison and contrast, and inspiring repetition. Adams initiates her letter to her son by establishing her nurturing nature over him. She creates a kind-hearted tone in order to appeal to the feelings of her son through the use of thoughtful syntax by admitting that she hopes he “had no occasion either from Enemies or the Dangers of the Sea to repent …second voyage to France.” She seems to capitalize “Enemies” and “Dangers of the Sea “in order to emphasize how important it is to her to see her son safe and well. This outflow of emotion of a mother lets John Quincy Adams know that wherever he is his mother will always be there to shelter him. …show more content…

For example, the use of parallelism in the quote “judicious traveler to a river” advices her son to use his advantages and turn them into accomplishes for himself and to the world around him. Adams longs to see her son prosper and become greater just as a stream becomes broad “the further it flows.” Adams also uses an allusion for the sake of exemplification when she argues that Cicero wouldn’t have shown “so distinguished as an orator, if he had not been roused….by the tyranny of Catiline, Verres,and Mark Anthony.” Adams implies that the struggles, John Quincy Adams beholds will only make him grow stronger, so he should be courageous and take a difficulty head

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The meaning behind a mother’s advice to her children should be taken to heart. Despite John Quincy Adams’ young age, Abigail Adams presents him didactic advice to assist him in his future endeavors. Abigail Adams employs various rhetorical devices to support and expound on her advice; she tells John Quincy Adams to not waste the advantages he was doled in life and mentions how wisdom lies in experience thought the implementation of personification, extended metaphor, maternalistic diction, and allusion. Abigail Adams advice focused on John Quincy Adams applying himself and emphasized how he must take advantage of the privileges he has received.

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oving mother, and wife of former President John Adams, Abigail Adams writes a letter to her son during his trip to France. The purpose she conveyed to her son consists of urging him to take advantage of the trip so he can deepen his learning of the language and culture. She utilizes a troubled tone to encourage the proper and beneficial actions of her son, John Quincy Adams. Adams begins her letter to John Quincy by displaying her concerns with his activities and schemes, for she wishes he will use the voyage to his learning advantage. Adams applies an ad hominem by arguing to her son that if “[he] were capable of judging what was most for [his] own benefit, [she] should not have urged [him] to accompany...the voyage” (line 5-7), which places a direct argument on John and his effective decision making.

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In a paragraph of her letter, Adams uses words like "advantages", "attention", "diligence" and "steady application. " Her use of strong, motivational and empowering diction will help her son realize how important the qualities of a honorable man are. Later in her letter, Adams alludes to the once great leader, Cicero. She writes, "Would Cicero have shone so distinguished an orator if he had not been roused, kindled, and inflamed by the tyranny of Catiline, Verres, and Mark Anthony?" She writes this to help her son recognize the struggles of becoming a strong leader, and the extensive outcome working hard can bring.

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Letters to John Adams writing prompt: Write a response in which you analyze the rhetoric that Abigail Adams uses to support the opinions she expresses in these letters. Recall that rhetoric is the art of using language to influence others it can include appeals to logic, emotions and mortality. It might also include rhetorical devices such as analogies to strengthen an argument. Remember to use evidence from the text to support your response. In Letters to John Adams, Abigail uses rhetoric to help persuade the user to her points, one of the many examples is in paragraph 8 where she states “I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”

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She asks her son rhetorically if Cicero would have been such a great leader had he not been "roused, kindled and inflamed. " Here, Adams is explaining that to become a great leader, one must go through great trials. Also, Adams compares her son to

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It also creates a memorable statement, because they are positive words which have positive impacts of the reader. In the opposite sense, another triad in line 31 says “...roused, kindled and inflamed…” which has more of a rhythm to the sentence, which makes the reader of the letter more intriguing and powerful. Parallel triads have the effect of making sense more more appealing to the ear, and to create a dramatic effect, enhancing the mood. Adam's strengthens her message to her son John Quincy Adams by using many instances of figurative language such as diction allusions and parallelism.

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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.

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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.

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