A Letter to His Son John Quincy

Talking about his decision to not go on the trip to France. She tries to convince him to go in the letter by saying how it’s important to his life and supports this by demonstrating the benefits the travel will provide him. She uses her place as his mother to establish her ethos, invoking emotions of duty and expectance. Abigail Adams motivates her son to participate in the journey to France, to fulfill the greatness she expects of him.

Abigail Adams utilizes her ethos to remind John that as his mother, she knows what’s best for him.

She uses the words “My dear Son” to show her role as a mother, showing the major influence she’s had in her son’s life. By using this phrase, Abigail emphasizes the personal connection she shares with John, hoping that it will help John’s decisions. She also enforces her role as a mother by saying that “I cannot fulfill my duty to you” without advising him on the issue of his travels.

By reinforcing that it is her duty as his mother to advise him, Abigail demonstrates that she wants the best for him. She hopes he will realize that her reason for writing this letter was to benefit him, John will be more susceptible to her advice since he’ll know she is speaking from the heart. Abigail Adams hopes to convince John that traveling to France will benefit him by using her ethos as a mother.

Adams appeals to her son’s logic by describing examples of success through perseverance and explaining that the experience will help make him into a true man.

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She uses a metaphor “compares a judicious traveler, to a river that increases its stream the farther it flows from its source, or to certain springs which running through rich veins of minerals improve their qualities as they pass along”. Abigail is implying that experience gained through the travels will help him grow and improve. She attempts to prove to John that his journey to France will expand his knowledge, hoping that this will help his decision on traveling to France by specifying the benefits. Abigail tends to her son’s sense of duty to convince him that the journey to France will be beneficial. She explains that “it is your lot, my son, to be an eyewitness of these calamities in your own native land, and, at the same time, to owe your existence among a people who have made a glorious defence of their invaded liberties, and who, aided by a generous and powerful ally, with the blessing of Heaven, will transmit this inheritance to ages yet unborn”, she tells John that he has a responsibility to the country. This is to appeal to his sense of duty. By telling him he has a responsibility to the country, she hopes this will encourage John to work diligently to honor his ancestors and descendants. She concluded her letter with “do honour to your country, and render your parents supremely happy, particularly your ever affectionate mother”. She reiterated her son’s duty to the country while adding the expectation she has of him. By placing the weight of expectations and duties on John, she hopes this will encourage her son to go on the trip.

Abigail Adams tries to describe the importance of the trip and convince John to go on it. She uses ethos, pathos, and logos. She uses her rank as his mother, provides logical reasons to go on the trip, and pressures John with feelings of duty and expectation. By doing all this, she hopes he will go on the trip to France.