John and Abigail Adams

We haven't blogged in a long while, and to kick things off we have begun with some old timey writing:
In class today we read letters that were sent between John and Abigail Adams. Within the letters thy discussed what was happening at the time, as well as plans for the future of the country. However, the primary focus was not to be on the content of the letters but rather the stylistic aspects of the writing used. For example, many seemingly random words in the letters are capitalized, but this can be seen as a calculated choice. Important words and phrases are capitalized to show importance.
One piece of the letter from John to Abigail is particularly interesting. He says:
"Whenever Vanity, and Gaiety, a Love of Pomp and Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, great Company, expensive Diversions, and elegant Entertainments get the better of the Principles and Judgments of Men or Women there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what Evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us."
This is obviously a lot, but taking a closer look allows its meaning to become clear. He is basically stating that over indulgence in material things can lead to what he describes as "Evil". John capitalizes the many things that lead to evil in order to emphasize their importance. His statement is astounding because of its truthfulness, as well as its ability to transcend time. It is indeed true that placing earthly wants above human principles leads to corruption, and John Adams realizes this and decides to mention it in a simple letter to his wife. John's words continue to be true today. What he says can be applied to any time period which makes its message even more meaningful.
The initial goal was to look at the stylistic choices of the documents, but the content ended up being the more interesting discussion.

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