Review #3

Rhetorical analysis

Since John Adams and his father are traveling abroad, the voyage will take place across the sea. His mother uses this reference to her advantage, comparing the water flow to her son's strength. She writes, "Some author...compares a judicious traveler to a river, that increases its stream the further it flows from its source..." This piece of evidence refers to herself as a source, implying that the further away he is from his mother, the stronger he will get. As the river keeps flowing down stream, its qualities will improve as it passes through the natural minerals. Abigail then branches off of her river metaphor to create more pronounced imagery, asserting, "...your improvement should bear some proportion to your advantages...Nature has not been deficient." The use of the word "bear," is a reference to how trees bear fruit and the process of growing. By using this figurative language, she is advising her son to use the voyage as a way to grow and get stronger, much like how nature does. By using these examples, she believes her son will transform into a great character.