Roots of the American Identity
Letters describes in depth colonial life under British control, but also the growing sense of unity and unrest felt by citizens in the colonies that would culminate in the Revolutionary War. Throughout the novel runs a theme of patriotism, not to Britain, but to the American colonies, who were gradually beginning to recognize themselves as separate, independent entities through shared origins and common culture.
Comprehension
Whlie at the beginning, the narrator revels in the American dream and wonderful life in the colonies, his letters go on to become increasingly downcast in tone. As James realizes there still exists in great horrors in the colonies (shown in his brutal depictions of slavery), he becomes more and more pessimistic about the might of the American colonies.
Humans and the Environment
One of the most prominent themes of Letters is humans' and society's relationship with the environment. James maintains the belief that humans are undoubtedly influenced by their environment, and even controlled by it. He believes that all individuals' actions are products of the environment around them, which allows them to grow and flourish, or starve and deteriorate.
Human Morality
Another great theme of Letters is the emphasis placed on the brutality, inhumanity of slavery. When James realizes the true depth of this harsh viscerality, he laments it, believing it has absolutely ruined the colonies' beauty for him. He debates the depraved morals that would allow a human to keep another human being in such wretched conditions, working him like an animal, and becomes despondent about the future of the American people who would allow such a thing to occur.
