What Is The Purpose Of Abigail Adams Letter To Her Son

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Reagan Luecht AP English Language; Period 2 Winn 2 March 2023 Abigail Adams Letter Abigail Adams wants to advise her son, John Quincy Adams, to take this trip with an open mind and learn to grow with this experience. On January 12, 1780, Adams wrote a letter to her son to give some advice about the trip he was taking with his father. Adams advises to John Quincy Adams that he should learn from his experience on this trip to become the great man he is supposed to be by using metaphors, diction, and positive connotations. Adams uses metaphors to tell John Quincy Adams that he can grow from the experience he has on this trip. She quotes a saying an author said to her, “compares a judicious traveler to a river, that increases its stream the …show more content…

She informs her son by writing, “as you increase in years.” By writing with an elevated diction she informs him that he is getting older, but also informs him that he should become smarter. The elevated diction may make John Quiny Adams feel as if he should become more mature. Abigail Adams knows her son is still young, but he is coming to the age where he needs to be a man and so by using elevated diction it will push John Quincy Adams to mature, especially on this trip with his father. After Adams informs her son that as he gets older he should mature, she writes, “Nature has not been deficient.” This abstract diction means that the times are coming to mature and gain knowledge because soon it will catch up to you. By writing that, John Quincy Adams will feel the need to mature and improve his knowledge. Abigail Adams knows John Quincy Adams is growing up and that this trip will be a great experience for him to do so and by informing him that he needs to grow will make him open minded on the trip. The use of abstract and elevated diction helps inform John Quincy Adams that he has come to the time where he needs to mature and gain vital