Richard Frethorne's Letter To Jamestown

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1. How does the geography of Jamestown, as well as the economy, play a part in this letter? The purpose of this letter is Richard Frethorne is to update his parents about his stay in Jamestown and requesting food from them. To persuade his parents to send him food or anything, he had to write in detail about his experience there by describing the economy and the harsh environment. They had to face several challenges for the Virginia colony to stay alive. For example, it states in the document that, “we live in fear of the enemy every hour, yet we had a combat with them…took two alive and made slaves of them… for our plantation is very weak by reason of the death and sickness in our company,". This suggests that the settlement was close to the …show more content…

Through his challenges and struggles listen in the letter, the reader can detect the desperation and need for food or money to be sent. He states in the letter that “a mouthful of bread for a penny loaf must serve for four men which is most pitiful”. There is a slight sense of shame and disgust tone in this sentence. According to this document, there was “nothing to comfort [him], nor is there nothing to be gotten here but sickness and death,”. This idea is so powerful the fact that death and sickness is the only comfort and reassurance to Richard during his harsh times at this Virginia Colony. He also mentions that "indeed so [he] find it now, to [his] great grief and misery and saith that if [his parents love him] to redeem [him] suddenly, for which do entreat and beg,". There is a sudden pride in Richard with the knowledge that he is not at the stage of begging yet unless he does not receive anything from his parents. Though he has been through struggles and obstacles, he shares his desperation and shame but humility. The letter states that "Good father, do not forget me [Richard], but have mercy and pity [his] miserable case". His attitude or tone of desperation spread as he pleads his case for food and resource from his presumed rich parents or anyone wealthy surrounding