Classical Parallels

This letter from Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams was written on August 19, 1774 while John was attending the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and Abigail was home in Braintree, Massachusetts.

This letter talks about the concern Abigail has for her country and the loneliness she holds every day because she misses her husband. It’s been a month since John departed, and Abigail and her children miss their “Pappa”. A friend of the family, Mrs. Warren, wishes him luck in his trip with no obstructions in the way and good decision making, and Abigail wishes him wisdom for every difficult day presented to him.

Two major rhetorical devices I found in the letter were appeal to emotion and red herring.

“The great anxiety I feel for my Country, for you and for our family renders the day tedious and the night unpleasant” (Adams 676). The previous quote is appealing to emotion because Abigail throughout the paragraph describes her feelings such as anxiety about what is going on, from her husband leaving to the actions taken in the country.

“I have taken a very great fondness for reading Rollin´s ancient History since you left me” (Adams 676). In this quote, Abigail deviates from the previous topic about her loneliness and anxiety by mentioning the book she reading to keep her mind of the feelings she needs to handle every day. She later comes back to her feelings again.

WORK CITED:

http://smalley.cc/images/loneliness.jpg

Adams, Abigail. Classical Parallels. Braintree: Agust 19, 1774.