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Rhetorical Analysis Of Abigail Adams Letter To John Quincy Adams

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Picture this: Your beloved spouse and son are traveling abroad on a year-long voyage. Your son had no interest in going, so you must draft a letter to convince him that it is worth the time. How would you approach this conundrum? In 1780, Abigail Adams write a letter to her son John Quincy Adams, who is traveling abroad with his father John Adams in France. Although John Quincy was hesitant to pursue this journey, Abigail eventually convinces him to proceed with the trip. In this 1780 letter, Abigail Adams not only commends John Quincy Adams for making the journey, but she also, through the utilization of rhetorical devices, such as allusions, metaphors, and antitheses, is able to advise her son on said journey. To begin, Abigail Adams enforces an extended metaphor by comparing her son’s travels to a flowing river. She reasons that the further from the source a river flows, the greater the amount of riches that will be acquired. By colliding these two contrasting concepts, Abigail Adams encourages John Quincy Adams through the idea that he’ll be awarded upon completion. If …show more content…

“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?” As stated above, this allusion within the rhetorical question alludes to the events that occurred in the Roman Empire. During the Empire, the leader Cicero overthrew the tyrannic government led by the aforementioned Catiline, Verres, and Mark Antony. In other words, Adams projects the idea that strong leaders and public figures are only created after they experience times of anguish and struggle. By emphasizing this point, Abigail Adams, again, is able to inspire John Quincy Adams by almost incentivizing him to continue his voyage with the idea that he’ll be rewarded for completing

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