Rhetorical Analysis: the Crisis, No. 1 by Thomas Paine Essay

Throughout The Crisis, Paine incorporates multiple uses of language to persuade the men to enlist in the war for freedom. Paine states, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered” (1). He emphasizes that Britain's tyranny of the American colonies will be

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph,” imagine hearing that when you need motivation in what seems like the scariest time of your life. Thomas Paine created this pamphlet, Common Sense, in January 1776. Some may question the purpose, and that was to motivate Americans to fight for what they believe in, what they want and what they deserve during the British conflict. Throughout Crisis No. 1, Thomas Paine uses pathos to persuade the colonist and revolutionaries to go to war against the British. Paine talks about how the future will improve, and mentions God many times throughout his pamphlet.

With the initially anonymous release of the pamphlet, Common Sense, Thomas Paine proposed to challenge Great Britain, as well as advocate for independence from the British government's sovereignty over what was then the thirteen American colonies. With the objective of coercing the American people to fight against Great Britain in mind, Thomas Paine employed various rhetorical strategies. These rhetorical strategies included: inductive and deductive reasoning through logic; but some of Paine's most persuasive arguments come from emotionally charged appeals to action and various forms of logical fallacies, which Paine used in an effort to coerce and inspire his audience, the American public, to unite with each other in the much anticipated battle

Proving that the liberties of the common people are something worth fighting for, Paine uses relatable figurative language in order to provide a more personal connection to the colonists in hopes of encouraging the proverbial David to stand up and wage war against Goliath. Paine pens an analogy stating that if a “child has thrived upon milk” then the child will never want “meat”. This analogy elicits a critical turning point in Paine’s pamphlet as he transitions from asking rhetorical questions to authoritative and comparative statements. Paine alludes to the overwhelming axiom that the colonies have been a baby drinking milk only satisfied by meeting the needs of Britain, instead of standing up for their individual rights and

From the Crisis No.1 written by Thomas Paine and the Speech at the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry were two major sources during the time of the Revolutionary War. Both speeches were persuasive and moving for the colonist. The common purpose of the revolutionary speeches during that time was to persuade the common people to become fully independent from tyranny. Even though the common purpose for both speeches was to separate from Great Britain, they both used different methods or strategies in their speeches like the tone, and how they appealed to the situation.

It was written in a concise manner that the common people of that century could understand it. Not only was it persuasive but it became an immediate sensation across the colonies. Paine describes how mankind was in a state of equality, but as time changed, the circumstances with it changed. Certain people put themselves as a king over the masses and nature did not approve. “One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule, by giving mankind an ass for a lion” (188). Paine then connects this by saying, even with reconciliation with Great Britain, the disadvantages with it would be too numerous. The dependency would tend to directly involve us with “European wars and quarrels, and set us at variance with nations who would otherwise seek our friendship” (188). Paine finally concludes with how we should stand up against oppression and accept freedom as our ally. “Receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind”

Paine effectively used low language and vivid imagery to create what amounts to the most successful propaganda tool in history. He made a point in demonizing King George as a “brute” and painting Great Britain as a “parasitic” overseer, sucking profit from its American Colonies while returning nothing but oppression. His use of plain rhetoric; however was his most powerful weapon, the very title of the work implied that what Paine presented was simple logic, that it could be grasped by anyone. He plainly appealed to the already embattled colonists that “the period for debate is closed” on the issue of the Revolution, that the Crown had “made the choice to pursue bloodshed” and that there was only one

Thomas Paine was the most persuasive writer for the American Revolution. He wrote to inspire soldiers under Washington that they can win the war, remain strong and fight for the freedom of their country.. In Paine’s essay, “The Crisis, No. 1,” rhetorical devices that Thomas uses are personification and emotional/logical appeal to compare and contrast victory versus defeat. Paine emphasizes that the struggle for freedom from the British through personification and that it’s important because the colonists need to continue to fight and not give up.

Adrian Rozzo Ms. McCarter English 3A 16 December 2016 The Crisis by Thomas Paine (1776) was written to inspire the people of the colonies to revolt against Great Britain. This document is important to the Age of Reason because it gave the colonies more hope of becoming a nation and inspired more people to want independence from Britain. With The Crisis and Common Sense, these two documents, along with many other factors, is what kickstarted the revolution. Paine uses ethos pathos and logos to appeal to his audience multiple times.

Thomas Paine was a great influence before and during the American revolution, two specific events that were stepping stones to the Revolution were also stepping stones for Paine’s work. The Stamp Act and The Enlightenment helped Paine to realize the need for revolution, with those events as influences he argued many points, including Naval occupation, need of debt and non-reconciliation with the British, on why the revolution is needed. Paine arrived in The British colonies in Seventeen Seventy-Four and started his literary career writing pamphlets and sharing his ideas with the public. Paine showed passion in revealing what he thought to be the public with his writing and opinions. That passion lead him to be in the center of the Revolutionary war.

Because Thomas Paine is writing to Americans who have endured the painful pre-stages of Revolutionary war, Paine has to include a personal anecdote to relate to his audience. As an American patriot and soldier, Paine’s purpose is to persuade these Americans to join the Patriotic cause. Some of these Americans have yet to support the Patriots or the British in the inevitable upcoming war. The personal experiences become a necessity for persuasion because it is easier for the audience to relate to Paine. Also, Thomas Paine came to America just some years before, so the audience is even more persuaded to support the Patriots because of his quick transition from supporting Britain to supporting the Patriots.

(Paine 89.) Paine is asking everyone in every state and colony to help the fight against the British. "The blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole." (Paine 90.) Paine is saying any who does not help when they could will be hated by their children.

To begin, Paine used organized text structure and emotion to make the “Crisis” effective. Paine explains the problem and tries to peak interest saying it’s our own fault for not taking action but there is a way we can fix our mistake. He also brings in God and hell for example when he says “God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction” which can help

Out of all of the leading figures of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine stood apart from the rest. To say the least, Paine transformed a small colonial town into what is known as the American Revolution. The book, Common Sense reveals much about Thomas Paine’s ideas and efforts of independence from Britain. The arguments he proposed and ideas he shared demonstrate the passion he attains. Paine firmly believes having a King and Queen is wrong. He also expresses his opinions of having the British help the colonies for the sake of their own benefit. Finally, Thomas Paine is a man who utilizes his common sense, appealing to his audience on a direct level.