To motivate her son to complete his diplomatic mission, Abigail Adams juxtaposes her son’s fear of 

danger and peril with his sense of duty in order to appeal to his bravery and establish legitimacy in his 
voyage. Adams begins her letter by reinforcing the possible dangers of her son’s voyage, emphasizing 
the “danger” of the voyage and using “the enemies of the sea” as an example of the hardships her son 
might face (Adams 1-3). E ​ ven though Adams is writing to encourage her son, she still mentions these 
negative factors because she wants to assure him that she understands his objections.​ Adams use of her 
son’s fear helps establish legitimacy in his voyage which, Adams uses to present his voyage as a 
challenge he should complete. Adams then reminds her son of the “knowledge” and “greater 
advantages” that he possesses (Adams 12-13). By emphasizing her sons advantages, Adams attempts to 
undercut her son’s fears and reassure him that he is capable of finishing his mission. A
​ dams knows that 
her son possesses these advantages and only mentions them for the purpose of motivating him. ​Adams 
then returns to the theme of “War, tyranny, and desolation” constantly reminding her son that “it is 
his duty” to complete the voyage. H ​ ere Adams tonal shift helps to emphasize that she believes that he 
has the courage to complete the voyage.