Samuel Johnson's Letter Annotations

A notorious literary figure and an acquaintance of the archbishop, Samuel Johnson, in his letter, clarifies the reasons behind his denial to the woman’s request of her son for a patronage to a university. Johnson wishes to inculcate the reasons behind his denial to the audience, therefore, he utilizes theme, tones, and didactics to show he is sympathetic towards her and her son for the decision. Johnson begins his letter by proposing the theme, juxtaposing hope, to distinctly announce that her son will not be supported by Johnson, but there are more chances in the future.
He foreshadows the rest of the letter by emphasizing that hope is a “species of happiness,” (line 4) but the excessive hope must be destroyed “by pain” (7). The idea of hope contrasts itself because too much of hope can lead to negative outcomes. This comparison lets the audience to expect that the rest of the

When he introduces the theme in the beginning, he is hesitant to answer the letter because of his “unwillingness to destroy any hope” (2-3). His hesitant tone appeals to the lady that Johnson is not joyful to announce that he cannot support her son; rather he is sympathetic towards her son. Soon after he introduces his inner feelings, he quickly becomes critical of the lady’s actions. He believes that “there is no reason” (21) to why Johnson should support the acceptance her son. Although his honesty may hurt the lady and her son’s feelings at first, Johnson believes that it is right to let them know that it is not fair to accept unless they have a “very particular relation” (29) to a higher position. However, to encourage the woman, Johnson uses complimentary tone in the end to explain that her son is “pretty youth,” (37) full of opportunities in the near future. He concludes the letter with a positive impression in order to make the reader view him as a warm and an encouraging