Abigail Adams Letter To Her Son Analysis

 Throughout the letter that Abigail Adam writes to her son to accompany him during his journey to America, she is encouraging him to carry out their family's legacy during this momentous time in history. His mother worked strategically to add a second level of depth to this letter showing a deeper sense of emotion that she had to go through that is able to be identified after much scrutiny. At the beginning of the passage, Abigail Adams jumps right into showing us the pain and regret she is feeling for John Adams after he leaves. She opens by wishing him safe travels as he leaves for America for a second time. She continues to describe herself as the reasoning behind her John's departure, as she says, “I should not have urged you,” which shows both guilt she feels as she had forced her son into this voyage, as well as regret for sending her son away creating another absence in her home. 

Toward the beginning of the passage, Abigail Adams turns the tables around on her son blaming him for his departure and acceptance of her advice. She changes her tone so quickly that it causes a noticeable shift in the letter. She continues by saying, “you could have possibly reaped whilst ignorant of it,” meaning that although he has made bad decisions, such as leaving home, he had been unaware of the impact they may have on those around him. She reassures him that as he ages, he will begin to get a better understanding of this concept. 

During the passage, Abigail Adams begins to describe her son to a river in hopes to build his confidence. She begins to talk about how as a river moves away from its source it becomes strong and splits into many streams. She is using a metaphor as she is saying that John Adams, as he grows up and leaves his parents, will have greater accomplishments and he will help many others along the way, such as the river helps the stream. Her goal was to encourage him to continue on his path by continuing to make good decisions. 

In the passage, Abigail Adams began talking about how other people had achieved their legacies. This was to help encourage her John Adams to follow suit to create his own legacy like his dad. She talks about how each individual was able to be a great influence on other people around them and relates other people’s decisions to help him grow his confidence and to help show him that he is on the right path to success. She is attempting to encourage him to continue on the route to make good decisions that are sought through hard work to help carry their family's legacy. 

In the final passage, Abigail Adams reassures her son by explaining the advantages that he has in America with his father as a popular public figure. She hopes to help build up his faith in his family along with his confidence as he goes on his journey. The way that Abigail Adams writes this section of the passage, helps us understand how much John Adams admired his father. In her final words, she signs off on the letter, sending her love to her family.