General, Robert E. Lee, in his letter, Letter to His Son, describes the succession of the southern states from the Union. Lee’s purpose is to express his view on the South’s decision to succeed from the Union. He uses patriotic diction, mournful tone, and repetition in order to let the readers feel how heartbreaking the Civil War was to him. Lee begins his letter by using patriotic diction to explain why he chose to fight for the South. He justifies his reason for fighting for the South by stating that “as an American citizen, [he] take[s] great pride in [his] country” and that he would “defend any state if her right were invaded.” This nationalistic choice of words allows the readers to see how heartbroken he was because it establishes that
