Abigail Adam's Appealing to Time

In Abigail Adam's letter to John titled "Man is a Dangerous Creature", Jimmie Killingsworth's "Complex Appeals to Time" can be applied. For example, in the letter, Abigail states that, "Tom says he won't come home till the battle is over" and eventually that she must go for "tis late for one who am much of an invalid"(317). Both of these phrases address the issue of time and how it is effecting Abigail and those involved in her life. Killingsworth points out that "Authors may appeal to the past present or future, but the focus tends to fall on the need for change" (39). This can be seen in the passages from Abigail's letters because she is presenting different aspects of her current life, while looking to her husband for advice in the future.