Land of Opportunity

Through decades, America has emerged to be the land of equality and opportunity with its further growing population. In 1830, an English man named John Downe traveled to the United States by himself knowing he is not the only one to come for good future. Considering the situation his family is enduring in England and how they are immensely struggling with money, he takes a job permitting himself more money for his wife to come to America along with his children. He writes a letter in which he convinces his wife to emigrate to the United States. Downe’s desire is to prove to his wife what a wonderful wife and journey they will have once she emigrates to America with their children. In “My Dear Wife”, the letter John Downe …show more content…
He comments on one of the most important things to him—his family. Throughout the whole letter he constantly brings up his aspiration to see his wife “and the dear children here”, so he could be happy and at peace (Downe 37). By putting his family first, readers can conclude how sentimental and caring he is towards them, he wants his family to leave England to live happily and healthily. He even claims that he escaped England’s deprivation, but he would “rather cross the Atlantic ten times” than to hear his children cry for food (Downe 44). Downe assures his wife that once they come to America they would not have to hear his children struggle being in hunger. Not only does Downe’s children have a special place in his heart, but so does his wife. He straightforwardly presents how she may experience “a few inconveniences in” transitioning to America but he knows it will be worth it (Downe 48-49). Downe tries to assure his wife she can handle a few difficulties, ignoring the actual 1800s dangers. These appeals, called pathos, make the wife feel assured that once she joins her husband in the United States, then the writer and his family will be